What is Meant to Be
by TheFredtoherGeorge
Summary: "The world was a sunnier, happier place" for the next generation. An optimistic take on Rose and Scorpius' relationship, full of romance, humor, and a little bit of mystery. Canon-freak friendly. Suggestive themes in later chapters.
1. New Year

The Potters' New Years Eve party was in full swing. People mingled, laughing and talking, while bottles of butterbeer and champagne floated around the room of their own accord. Music played softly, coming from nowhere in particular, and along one wall, a buffet table was loaded with all manner of excellent edible delights. It was near the end of this table, easily within reach of the aforementioned food, that Al and Scorpius had stationed themselves.

"You're just sore because the Harpies flattened Puddlemere last week," Al was chuckling as he grabbed a passing bottle of butterbeer, twisted the cap off, and took a long drink. Scorpius scowled for a moment before smiling suddenly.

"Yeah, but we play the Cannons next and we can't possibly lose that one," he replied.

"Don't let my father hear you say that."

Both boys were startled by the intrusion of a feminine voice into their conversation, but it was only Scorpius who nearly dropped his beverage. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his chest as he took in the sight of the redheaded woman before him. She wore a simple but stunning dress and her long, curly hair hung loose, framing her face beautifully. Her smile seemed to light up her whole face as she looked back at her two best friends.

"Rosie!" Al shouted, throwing his arms around his cousin and lifting her off the floor a few inches as he hugged her. "I thought you were spending the rest of the hols with your grandparents."

Rose sighed. "I was supposed to, but Grandmum Granger isn't feeling well, so she cancelled."

"Well, I'm sorry your Grandmum's ill, but all the better for us," Al replied, grabbing another floating bottle of butterbeer as it passed by and pushing it into Rose's empty hands. "Come join the party. We've got the best spot in the house, of course."

"Next to the food, I see," Rose laughed.

Scorpius was still trying to regain control of his breathing when Rose stepped forward and slid her arms over his shoulders and around his neck. He returned the hug, closing his eyes for a moment as the proximity of her body to his and the fragrance of her hair caused a tingling jolt in his solar plexus. His attraction to his best female friend had been developing for quite a while now and Scorpius had thought he'd had it under control. But seeing her tonight, when he hadn't expected to, looking especially radiant, had caught him off guard. It took all his willpower not to lean in and snog her senseless as she stepped back and her eyes connected with his.

"So, Rosie, Scor and I were just discussing a little quidditch," Al piped up, breaking the tension. "Any thoughts on whether Puddlemere have got a bid for the title this year?"

"Not a chance," she replied, her gaze never breaking from Scorpius' face. "After that game against the Harpies, they'll be lucky to come in tenth in the league."

"That wasn't a game, it was a charade," Scorpius muttered, scowling into his butterbeer. He knew perfectly well that Rose was deliberately winding him up. She and Al naturally supported the Harpies, since Al's mother had been a successful chaser for that team during her youth, and Rose also harboured a soft spot for her father's favorite team, the Cannons. Scorpius had been brought up a Puddlemere United fan by his mother. The three friends often enjoyed a friendly rivalry, never missing an opportunity to take the mickey when one or the other's team made a poor showing. Since Rose was so often the object of the boys' teasing, she was downright merciless when given the chance to retaliate.

"I've seen second years that can keep better than that bloke that replaced Wood. If you're lucky, the Kestrels' seeker will be out for the season," Rose continued, a wicked smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Rumors are that she's up the duff. Their reserve seeker is bloody awful, so that'll give Puddlemere an edge. You might take ninth."

"Better than last place. How many years have the Cannons been at the bottom of the league now? Three hundred?"

Rose didn't say anything for a moment as she gave Scorpius a quizzical look.

"If that's the best you can come up with, my friend, you are losing your touch," Rose replied, smiling suddenly. Al chuckled as Scorpius continued to frown. The cousins' amused expressions were replaced with confused ones as Scorpius muttered something about needing some air and began to move through the crowd.

"What's got his wand in a knot?" Rose asked Al as Scorpius moved away. "I know he's not that sore about quidditch."

"Don't worry about him, Rosie," Al replied. "I've got a good idea about what's bothering him. Give him a little time and I'll go sort him out in a minute."

As Scorpius stepped out into the Potters' back garden, he drew in several lungfuls of frigid air in an attempt to soothe his frazzled nerves. As hard as he'd tried, he hadn't been able to supress the physical and emotional reactions that Rose was inspiring in him. Her appearance was enough in itself - Merlin, she was stunning! - but when she'd given him that cheeky look and started teasing him about quidditch, his desire had ascended to a whole other level. It wasn't just about her very feminine form, as he'd previously tried to convince himself. He was attracted by her personality as well. Her humour, her intelligence, her kindness, and even her temper - which was considerable - all drew him in like a Siren's call. She had been his best friend for more than five years, but it wasn't enough for him anymore. He wanted to be far more than her friend. He wanted to be something that no one else would ever be to her.

"I'm in love with Rose," he whispered, admitting the truth to himself for the very first time.

"Caught on, have you?"

Scorpius jumped, spinning around and facing his best friend, albeit not the one who'd so recently been occupying his thoughts.

"Don't look at me like I ought to be shocked," Al remarked. "You two have only been ogling each other since the beginning of fourth year. It's about bloody time one of you did something about it."

Pulling out his wand and casting a warming charm around himself, Al wandered over to a stone bench, vanished the snow that had accumulated atop the seat, and sat down. Still recovering from his shock, Scorpius followed silently.

"I'm only going to say one thing, mate," Al began. "I know how it can be with birds. One catches your eye, and she's fascinating. You think about her all the time and you want to find out everything about her. Then after a while, the novelty wears off. She's just another girl. Soon there's a different one that looks much more appealing. It's happened to all of us."

Scorpius opened his mouth as if to reply, but Al held up a hand, silencing him.

"Rose is not a bird. She's my cousin. She's family and I love her. You've been my best mate for a long time now, but if you hurt her, I don't think I could ever forgive you for that. So I'm saying that if you're going to pursue this, you'd better be sure that it's the real thing."

Scorpius tried to think of something to say, some way to express that what he felt for Rose was genuine and different from the fleeting infatuations that Al was describing. After a few moments, he simply looked his best friend in the eye, a solemn expression on his face, and nodded.

"Well, now that's settled, what are you going to do now?" Al asked cheerfully, slapping Scorpius on the back.

"Do?! Should I - what?" Scorpius stammered, looking at his friend in alarm. Al laughed and shook his head.

"If I have to spend another year and a half watching the two of you flirting and ogling each other while pretending you're not, I'm going to gouge my own eyes out with a bowtruckle," Al replied. "No, you're going to get on with it and make your move and be done. Tonight! The time has come to show your true Gryffindor colors, mate."

With this, Al stood and walked back across the garden and into the house, leaving Scorpius sitting alone on a bench in the dark.


	2. Gryffindor Courage

Rose was nibbling on a pumpkin pasty and weaving her way through the sea of people when a petite redheaded girl suddenly appeared before her and blocked her path.

"All right, Rose?"

"Oh hello, Lily," Rose replied, stepping sideways into a slightly more open area. "Having fun?"

"It's not bad," Lily shrugged. "I was talking to Hugo a few minutes ago. I'm sorry about your Grandmum."

"Oh, thanks, Lily. It's just a little virus though. She'll be better in a few days. Unfortunately, by that time, we'll already be headed back to school."

Lily nodded. "So where are my brother and your loverboy?"

Rose's eyes widened as she stared at her cousin. She was clearly shocked and embarrassed that Lily could make such an offhand comment about her infatuation with Scorpius, especially in a crowded room. Not that she had ever confessed to such feelings. Lily was entirely too perceptive for a fourteen-year old.

"Scorpius," Rose replied, composing herself, "is in a strop about something. Al's gone to talk to him. I've no idea where they are."

"Mmm," Lily acknowledged. "Well, if you see Al, tell him the Longbottoms have finally arrived. I have a feeling he'll be interested to know that." A mischevious smile spread across her face before she waved to Rose and disappeared into the crowd once more.

Meanwhile, in the back garden, Scorpius was trying to sort out his thoughts. He had feelings for Rose. Al had known about his feelings. Al was okay with them being together. Scorpius wanted to be with Rose. Al wanted him to get on with it. Ron Weasley was going to kill him.

Scorpius suddenly understood something Al's dad had once said about having too many thoughts and memories to fit inside his head.

As he sat there, staring into the darkness, one of Al's comments swam to the forefront of his mind.

_"You two have only been oogling each other since the beginning of fourth year."_

You two? Did that mean that Rose had feelings for him as well? Scorpius wondered briefly whether he ought to find Al and ask him to clarify that statement, but something else he'd said came back to him at that precise moment.

_"The time has come to show your true Gryffindor colors, mate."_

Scorpius made up his mind. Taking a deep breath, he stood and walked back into the house, in search of Rose.

Inside the house, Rose had settled herself into a corner of the sofa and was having a pleasant conversation with Alice Longbottom, a Hufflepuff in her year and the daughter of her parents' good friends, Hannah and Neville, when Al dropped onto the seat beside her. She turned to look at him in surprise, rolling her eyes when she noticed that he held a plate of treacle tart in one hand while he was eating the pasty he had in the other.

"Boys!" she grumbled. "Do you ever stop eating?"

Al only shrugged, his mouth too full to answer. At least he had manners.

"Did you find Scorpius?" Rose asked. Al nodded. "Did you talk to him?" she continued, receiving another nod. "Is he alright?" she asked. This time Al only shrugged. Rose rolled her eyes again, turning back toward Alice, who was attempting to stifle her laughter.

"Oh! Al, the Longbottoms are here," Rose exclaimed, gesturing toward their friend on her other side. Al finally swallowed and spoke.

"I can see that," he replied, giving Rose a strange look.

"Lily wanted me to tell you that. She seemed to think you'd be interested to know."

"Did she now?" Al mused. "Silly Lily. Not that it's not good to see you, of course." Al nodded his head slightly at Alice, who smiled, blushing slightly.

Rose watched the exchange carefully, trying to see the clues to what Lily seemed to be suggesting. She couldn't decide whether the subtle gestures and reactions she noted were an indication that Lily was right, or a fabrication of her own mind. Perhaps if she left them alone for a few minutes, she could get a better look at how they interacted.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," Rose said, standing suddenly. "I'm going to go and see if I can find my other best friend and talk some sense into him." She stepped quickly around the sofa and had begun walking toward the dining room when she saw him.

Scorpius was walking directly toward her, a look of determination on his face. When he reached her, he stopped, staring directly into her eyes for a moment before bringing his hands up to gently hold her face. Before she could register what was happening, he had leaned in and was kissing her.

Rose's mind was still catching up, but her body reacted instinctively. Her hands moved to his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, while her eyes fluttered closed and her mouth began to participate in the kiss.

Scorpius felt as if he were flying. As soon as he felt Rose's lips against his own, all of the tension, confusion, and frustration he'd been feeling for the last hour melted away. When she responded to his kiss, he was elated. He slid one hand from her face around to the back of her head, and dropped the other arm to wrap around her waist.

Both Rose and Scorpius were so focused on the task at hand that they failed to notice that an unnatural hush had fallen on the room around them. When they finally broke apart, smiling, Rose glanced around, turned a vibrant shade of red, and hid her face against Scorpius' chest.

"I think you're a bit early, mate."

Scorpius turned toward the voice to see the grinning face of James Potter. He gave the older boy a confused expression, causing him to laugh.

"Midnight's not for another half hour," James explained, gesturing toward the clock on the wall.

"Oh, right," mumbled Scorpius. "I was just, er... practicing."

James laughed again. "Well, maybe you ought to find somewhere to practice that's not quite so crowded, don't you think?"

"Best idea I've heard all day, mate," Scorpius chuckled. He took Rose by the hand and led her through the dining room toward the kitchen.


	3. Making it Official

Rose followed Scorpius from the crowded dining room into the kitchen, which was empty except for an elderly witch who was wearing a patched and shabby apron over a set of rather elegant traditional witch's robes. The woman seemed to be fussing over a tray of puddings and did not immediately notice their arrival.

"Nana!" Rose exclaimed, rushing over to embrace the woman.

"Oh, Rosie, I was so sorry to hear about your Grandmum, but it's lovely to have you here dear," Molly Weasley said, returning her granddaughter's hug.

"I'm so glad I came tonight, Nana," Rose continued in an excited whisper. "I was wondering, would you mind giving us just a few minutes alone? We need to have a little talk."

Molly looked at Rose, taking in her red face, excited expression, and slightly mussed hair. Her eyes then slid over to Scorpius, who was standing awkwardly to the side and wearing a very silly grin.

"Of course dear," she replied, patting Rose's cheek affectionately. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," she whispered with a wink as she removed her apron and turned to leave the room. Rose made a face.

"That leaves it rather open, I'm afraid," Rose muttered. Scorpius gave her a quizzical expression. "She did have seven children," she clarified. Scorpius didn't know whether to laugh or wince, so he settled for an embarrassed smile.

Rose turned, pulling Scorpius close against her and wrapping her arms around his neck. She looked up at him with a slightly seductive smile before whispering in his ear.

"So, where were we?"

Scorpius smiled but stepped back, taking her hands from behind his neck and holding them in his own.

"Now wait just a second. I'm going to do this thing properly," Scorpius insisted. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the smiling girl in front of him. "Rose, you've been my best friend since we were eleven years old. We've grown up together and you're this wonderful, amazing woman and you're so beautiful. I want to be more than your friend. I want you to be my girlfriend."

"Of course," Rose replied. "I'd love to be your girlfriend. I've fancied you for ages." Rose blushed again at the admission. "Now...shut up and kiss me."

Scorpius laughed and wrapped his arms around his new girlfriend, lifting her up as he pressed his lips to hers once more. He shuffled slightly and perched her on the edge of the counter, leaning into the kiss as he did so. After several minutes of very enthusiastic snogging, they were simply smiling at each other, forheads resting against one another, when Rose suddenly sat up straight and gave Scorpius a curious look.

"So what were you so angry about earlier this evening?" she asked.

Scorpius frowned. "Angry? When was I angry?"

"When I first arrived. I started teasing you about Puddlemere and you walked off in a huff. You've never been that upset over a quidditch game."

At this, Scorpius suddenly avoided Rose's gaze. His cheeks began to turn pink and he shuffled his feet slightly. Rose watched, fascinated. Blushing was something she'd never witnessed Scorpius doing. She hadn't even been sure that he could.

"I, er, wasn't angry about quidditch...or at all," Scorpius mumbled.

"I don't understand," Rose replied.

Scorpius sighed before finally meeting Rose's eyes.

"Alright, well, I didn't expect to see you tonight, because you were supposed to be at your Grandparents' house. You caught me off guard and you look simply stunning in that dress. So there I was and you started giving me that cheeky look and trying to wind me up and I...er..." Scorpius stuttered to a stop as Rose's eyes began to widen in understanding.

"I was teasing you about quidditch and you were...aroused?" she whispered, disbelieving.

Scorpius began to laugh. "Well, in all fairness, you could probably be reciting 'Hogwarts: A History' to me and I'd find you arousing."

Rose joined in his laughter for a moment before a mischevious smile graced her lips. She leaned in so that their lips were only a few millimeters apart before whispering seductively. "That sounds like some very powerful magic. I'll have to remember to use it carefully."

Scorpius smiled and kissed her again. Before they could get too carried away, however, Rose pulled back.

"It must be nearly midnight," she said. "We should rejoin the party. People will begin to wonder."

"Good idea," Scorpius replied. He lifted Rose from the counter and set her on her feet again, taking her hand and moving toward the kitchen door. Just as he was about to push it open, they heard voices coming from the other side. Rose put a hand out to stop him when she heard her father's voice.

"No! I don't care what you say. This isn't over yet."

"C'mon, mate, you might as well pay up," the voice of Harry Potter responded. "You know I was right all along."

"No!" Ron continued. "No, what you said - this thing, it's not the same. That's a long way off. A very, very long way. Anything could happen. This isn't over."

Harry laughed. "All right, mate. But I'm telling you, it's only a matter of time."

Ron was grumbling under his breath as the voices moved away from the door and blended into the noise of the party. Scorpius carefully pushed open the door and peered around before walking through and pulling Rose behind him. Noticing Al standing nearby, he walked over to join him, still holding Rose's hand.

"I wonder what that was all about," Rose muttered, grabbing one of the few floating butterbeers that was still meandering around the room and opening it.

Al shook his head. "Just trust me when I say that you really don't want to know."

Rose was about to reply when the crowds around them began to chant.

"Ten, nine eight..."

"Yeah, so, I'm going to go over there for a minute," Al said, chuckling. "Because watching you two snog is still just too weird."

Rose made a face while Scorpius laughed.

"Six, five four..."

Scorpius slid his arms around Rose, smiling down at her.

"Happy New Year," he said softly.

"Two, one!"

"Happy New Year," she replied.

Although their second public kiss was just as passionate as the first, this time it went mostly unnoticed, as the majority of the people surrounding them were similarly occupied.


	4. On the Train

By the time Rose had completed her prefect's duties, the Hogwarts Express had travelled nearly two thirds of the day's journey and she was exhausted. Locating the compartment that contained Scorpius, Al, Lily, and Hugo, she entered and dropped heavily into the seat beside Scorpius.

"Mmm, so tired," she mumbled, snuggling into Scorpius' shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Well, get some sleep then," Scorpius suggested.

"I think I will," Rose answered, tilting her head back to receive a kiss from her boyfriend. What might have been a quick peck on the lips progressed into a much more serious snog, however, until a gagging sound from one of the compartment's other inhabitants distracted them.

"Ugh, I was wrong. This is worse - much, much worse! Where's that bowtruckle?" Al was sputtering and exclaiming while holding up a hand to block his view of the cozy couple. Hugo was staring fixedly out the window while Lily was curled in a corner, reading a quidditch magazine.

"Relax, Al," Lily sighed. "They've only just got together. When they've been dating a bit longer, they won't be snogging quite so much, at least not in public."

Rose was mortified. Blushing furiously, she sat up and straightened her robes.

"I'm so sorry, Al. That was terribly innappropriate. I don't know what came over me."

Scorpius and Al smiled, familiar with Rose's tendency to suddenly morph from "Normal Rose" into "Prefect Rose". Lily peeked over the top of her magazine with a smirk, sliding her eyes briefly over Scorpius' form.

"I've a good idea," she muttered.

"Lily Luna Potter! Did you just check out my boyfriend?"

Al scowled and Scorpius looked embarrassed. Lily only laughed.

"Oh, honestly, it's not like I'm going to try to steal him from you - as if I could. But it's common knowledge that he's a goodlooking bloke. You can't blame me for appreciating aesthetics when I find them."

Rose only gaped, shaking her head slowly, as Lily returned to reading her magazine. Scorpius cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"All right then, new subject. Who has the next Weasley birthday?"

Rose's eyes lit up and a wicked grin spread across her face as she turned to look at her brother, her fatigue forgotten. Hugo had finally turned away from the window to give Rose a suspicious glare.

"Hugo!" Rose said in a singsong voice. "He's turning 15 in a fortnight and James and I have already been scheming."

Scorpius observed the expression on Rose's face before turning to Hugo.

"I'm afraid for you, mate," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm really quite glad my birthday's in August," Al remarked, smiling. "Having a summer birthday doesn't guarantee that the prank will be any less humiliating, but there are fewer people to witness your shame."

"Whatever you're planning, Rose, you know I'll be watching out for it," Hugo said. "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "You think I can't fool my little brother?"

Hugo shrugged.

"Actually, I've always wondered about that," Scorpius commented. "Since the Weasley birthday prank is this big tradition that you've all been doing for ages, how is it that everyone always falls for it? Isn't it harder to prank someone who expects to be pranked?"

"Yes, but our family is full of diabolical scheming geniuses," Al replied. "You're dating one of them, so watch out."

Scorpius looked down at Rose, who smiled up at him innocently.

"Don't fall for that look," Lily warned, putting away her magazine. "She can't be trusted for a second. Uncle George himself calls her his little protege. Remember the hot pants incident from a couple of years ago?"

"That was YOU?" Scorpius whipped his head around to look at his girlfriend, who was red-faced and determinedly trying not to laugh.

Al gaped at her. "How on earth did you even get ahold of all of the fourth year Gryffindor boys' underwear, much less charm them to heat up as soon as we sat down? I always assumed it was James!"

Rose finally gave in to her laughter, shaking with mirth as she looked between her two best friends. Al was just shaking his head. Scorpius looked gobsmacked.

"How is it that I've been your best friend for all these years and I never knew that you're a troublemaking mastermind?" he asked indignantly.

"Well, no offense, Scor, but you're not exactly observant," Lily giggled. "You never realized that she was hot for you either."

Rose conjured a small feather pillow and sent it zooming straight toward Lily's face, where it made a soft "thoof" noise as it collided.

"All right, what I'm about to tell you does not leave this compartment," Rose began, turning toward her boyfriend as she spoke. "James and I have an arrangement of sorts. You see, I love a good prank as much as anyone else in the family and I have a bit of a gift for thinking them up. But I also have head girl aspirations and no one is going to award that kind of authority to a known prankster. James, on the other hand, only aspires to be the next Uncle George. So he convinced me to help him with the planning and some of the trickier spells and he makes sure that none of the blame comes back to me."

Scorpius stared at his girlfriend in awe. He still couldn't decide whether he should be offended or impressed that she's managed to keep such information from him, but the overwhelming feeling he was experiencing was desire. The way her eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth twitched with mischief only made her more attractive to him. Slowly, he leaned forward until his mouth was only inches from her ear.

"I have a terrible desire to snog you right now," he whispered. "But I'd rather not alienate your family. Did you happen to notice any empty compartments while you were doing your patrol?"

Rose smiled and grabbed Scorpius' hand in her own.

"Umm, all right, we're going to go..." Rose faltered for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible excuse to leave the room.

"It's alright, Rose," Albus said, waving her toward the door. "Everyone here knows what you're going to do and we're just glad we don't have to watch it."

Lily giggled as Rose blushed again and pulled Scorpius along with her into the corridor.


	5. Letters from Home

By the time Al and Scorpius had dragged themselves out of bed the following morning, Rose was already seated in the great hall, enjoying her breakfast of scrambled eggs with fried tomatoes and mushrooms.

"Good morning sleepyheads," Rose greeted the boys as they sat down at the table and began piling food on their plates. Al only grunted but Scorpius planted a swift kiss on his girlfriend's cheek in response.

"I don't know how you can be so cheerful this early in the morning, Rose," Al muttered before yawning dramatically and reaching for the small pot of coffee that was nestled between a tea pot and a platter of sausages.

"It's not that early, Al," Rose responded evenly. "Classes start in a little over half an hour. Besides, I've just never seen any reason to lay about in bed in the morning."

Scorpius nearly choked on his tea. The images that flooded his mind as Rose spoke made him immensely glad that neither of his friends was a legilimens. As it was, they didn't need to be. Before Scorpius could even formulate a response in his head, much less open his mouth to voice it, Al's fork was thrust dangerously close to his nose.

"Don't even think about it," Al growled. "I'll not tolerate innuendo at this time of the morning."

Rose's head snapped up, an expression of confusion on her face. She looked between her cousin, who was scowling, and her boyfriend, who was managing to look both mischievous and sheepish at the same time. She replayed the conversation briefly in her mind and blushed deeply as she realized what they were on about.

"Oh, honestly," she snapped, trying to cover her embarrassment. "Why is it that boys always think everything is about sex?"

This time Scorpius did choke on his breakfast. Al did as well. Rose simply shook her head as the two coughed and sputtered. No matter how long they had been friends and how often Rose spoke her mind clearly and without euphemisms, the boys could never truly get used to hearing certain words spoken aloud.

Before Al and Scorpius had fully recovered, the sound of wings filled the Great Hall and owls began dropping envelopes and parcels in front of students throughout the room. Rose tucked a sickle into the pouch of the Daily Prophet delivery owl and unrolled her paper as two envelopes fell onto Scorpius' plate.

Rose had just finished skimming the front page and was preparing to turn to the sports section to read her aunt's latest piece when a crinkling sound caught her attention. She looked up to find Scorpius crushing both of his letters into a ball, his face tense and angry. Knowing he'd be evasive if she asked him what was wrong, she simply flicked her wand and silently summoned the crumpled paper.

"Rose!" he started to object, but was silenced by the look she gave him. Spreading the papers out in front of her, she read them quickly.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I trust your studies are going well. I was disappointed that you chose not to join us for your school holidays again this year. While I understand that young men are prone to prefer the company of their peers, I would hope that you recognise the importance of family. We are your blood, Scorpius, and there is no bond that compares to that._

_On a related subject, I have received information through certain channels that you are now dating the Weasley girl. While I am sure she is a very attractive and charming young lady, I must insist that you think very carefully before allowing this relationship to become too serious. You are the last of a very old, very noble pureblood line, Scorpius. You have a responsibility to uphold and I would hate to think of you carelessly throwing that aside._

_Sincerely,_

_Grandmother Cissy_

Rose rolled her eyes and tucked the first letter beneath the second, continuing her reading.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_Ignore your Grandmother, Son. I've rowed with her for hours but I simply cannot make her see reason. She is an old woman and she is set in her ways. No matter how many times I insist that there are some things that are more important than blood status, she refuses to sway her opinion._

_I was delighted to hear the news of your relationship. I am immensely proud of you for making such a beneficial connection. I have told you before that I made a grave error in alienating Potter when we were children and I regret it to this day. You have given this family a second chance, Son, a chance at redemption. For that you should be extremely proud._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Father_

Rose sighed and folded the papers, stuffing them into the pocket of her robes as she took Scorpius' hand and stood up from the table. They walked silently out of the great hall and into the entrance hall.

"At least your father approves of us," Rose spoke softly, squeezing Scorpius' hand as they walked.

Scorpius laughed bitterly. "I almost wish he'd take Grandmother's line instead. She's a narrow-minded and prejudice old bat, but at least she stands for something. Father is a true Slytherin. He'll take sides with whoever has the most power and he's never done a thing for me or anyone else that didn't in some way benefit himself. I hate that he seems to adore you for your last name as much as he secretly hates you for your bloodline. It's pathetic."

"And you're nothing like him," Rose said firmly, taking his other hand in hers and pulling him toward her. "You're generous and kind and open-minded and brave. You've proven time and time again that you belong in Gryffindor with us and that's all that matters. That's why I love you."

Scorpius' eyes widened and he looked at Rose in shock for a moment. She blushed lightly and dropped her eyes for a moment before tilting her head up again and looking him directly in the eyes.

"Yes, I love you, alright? I know we've only been dating for less than a week, but we've been best friends since we were eleven. I know you as well as I know Albus. I can tell the difference between infatuation and the real thing and I know that I love you. So I don't see any reason not to tell you that just because it's too soon or we're too young or any of that other tosh."

Scorpius only smiled as he pulled the fiery redhead close and kissed her soundly. Rose lost herself in the kiss for a few moments before pulling back and fixing Scorpius with a stern look.

"We shouldn't make a habit of public displays of affection," Rose scolded, smoothing her robes. "I am a prefect, after all. I have to set an example."

She took his hand and attempted to lead him down the hallway toward the classrooms, but Scorpius refused to move his feet. Instead, he pulled her back toward him, twirling her slightly until she was pressed against him once more and both of his arms were wrapped tightly around her. He then leaned down, but instead of kissing her, he nuzzled his face against the side of hers and whispered in her ear.

"I love you too."

Rose smiled brilliantly as she stepped back once more. They stood, gazing at each other for a moment, before she spoke.

"C'mon, we don't want to be late for potions."

She took his hand in hers again and led him down the hallway. This time, he followed.


	6. Potions

Rose and Scorpius were the first students to enter the Potions classroom and quickly sat together at a table near the front. Rose busied herself with preparing her workspace, placing her cauldron on the table and pulling her Potions book as well as the satchel in which she kept her basic ingredients from her bag. Scorpius, meanwhile, simply sat in his chair, leaning back and watching Rose with a vague smile on his face. As the classroom began to fill, he continued to stare at her until she finally turned to face him.

"What?" she demanded in a loud whisper.

"You're pretty," he responded softly.

Rose rolled her eyes but smiled as Al dropped into the seat directly in front of her.

"Where did you two disappear to?" he asked, turning around in his seat to face the couple. "Couldn't get through breakfast without a good snog?"

"We were only talking, Al," Rose replied. "Well, mostly," she continued under her breath.

"My father's being a tosser, as usual," Scorpius explained. "I was a bit hacked off about it when I got his letter. Rose was talking some sense into me."

Al nodded in understanding and turned back around in his seat as Professor Cornfoot strode up to the front of the room to begin the lesson.

"Welcome back, everyone. I trust everyone's holidays were satisfactory. Now, for today's lesson, we will begin brewing a rather infamous concoction known as Amortentia. Can anyone tell me more about this potion? Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"Amortentia is currently the strongest known love potion in the world. It is recognisable by its distinctive spiraling steam and its mother-of-pearl sheen. It also smells differently to each person, depending on what attracts them. Although the term love potion is commonly used, no potion is capable of producing actual love, but only an intense infatuation or obsession."

Al turned his head briefly to smirk at Scorpius, who grinned and rolled his eyes. Al's father had assured them that Rose's habit of sounding as if she'd swallowed the textbook was directly inherited from her mother.

"Very good, Miss Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now as I'm sure you can all appreciate, this potion has the capability to cause a great deal of havoc and strife, so while we are going to practice it for academic purposes, it is not to be brewed under any other circumstances. The punishment for having this potion in your possession outside this classroom, much less attempting to administer it to anyone, is severe."

Professor Cornfoot then waved his wand, causing the ingredients list and brewing instructions to appear on the board.

"Here are the instructions for the first stage of brewing," the professor continued. "You are expected to complete this stage by the end of the lesson, so that the proper brewing time can elapse between today and the next lesson. You may begin."

Students began milling about, setting up their stations and gathering the necessary ingredients. Rose immediately crossed the room to collect what she and Scorpius would need from the potions cupboard. Returning to their table, she placed the ingredients neatly between Scorpius' cauldron and her own and got to work.

Rose was a notoriously serious student, always focusing the entirety of her attention on her task whenever she was studying or completing an assignment. Her innate curiosity and intelligence made her a naturally good student, but she wasn't content to simply coast through her education on her wits. She always put forth her very best effort, finding comfort in knowing that whatever recognition she received had been fairly earned and not simply doled out as a result of her parentage.

As the hour progressed, however, Rose found herself at odds with an unfamiliar foe: distraction.

She had been leaning over her potion, counting stirs and watching the color change when she sat back and noticed Scorpius cutting up roots for the next step in the process. Her eyes settled on his hands and she found herself thinking about how warm and strong those hands were, how nice they felt in her own, how good they might feel running up her -

Rose shook her head. "Focus!" she thought sternly, turning her eyes back to her cauldron. She panicked slightly when she realised she'd nearly forgotten to add an ingredient at the correct time. Tipping a phial over her potion carefully, she sighed in relief as the color changed once more. As she reached to set the phial back on the table, Scorpius reached out to take it from her and their hands brushed against each other.

Rose nearly gasped aloud at the tingling shock that tore through her body at his touch. She looked up to meet his grey eyes with her blue ones, before her gaze fell to his lips. They were so soft, yet so masculine. She loved the way he kissed her, with so much passion and feeling. She chewed on her own lower lip, thinking about how much she wanted to nibble on his. She wasn't even aware that she was leaning toward him until -

_Crash!_

"Aww, dammit!" Scorpius swore, looking down at the broken shards of the phial he'd dropped on the floor between them. Rose flushed bright red as she turned away and fixed her gaze resolutely on the book in front of her. But as her eyes moved over the words, she failed to take in any of the information they conveyed. She wondered when the room had become so warm and why she was breathing as if she'd just run up a flight of stairs. Closing her eyes tightly for a moment, she tried to clear her mind and focus on the assignment.

Scorpius, who had vanished the broken phial and walked to the cupboard to retreive a replacement, was having similar troubles. He stepped into the small storage room, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried desperately to think about quidditch. After several moments, he realised he would have to return to the table if he wanted to complete the assignment correctly. He grabbed a replacement phial off the shelf, turned, and strode back through the classroom, thanking Merlin for the loose robes that comprised the school uniform.

In Scorpius' absence, Rose had managed to add the final ingredients for the day's assignment into her cauldron and was counting stirs. As she leaned back in satisfaction, relieved that her lack of focus had not caused her to ruin her schoolwork, Scorpius returned to his chair and dropped a small amount of liquid from the phial he had brought with him into his cauldron.

"Does this look right?" he asked Rose with a worried expression as the color of his potion began to change. Rose leaned over to peer into his cauldron, placing a hand gently on his knee as she did so. Her chest brushed gently against his upper arm and a wayward lock of hair fell across his shoulder. Scorpius inhaled sharply and his senses were overwhelmed by her closeness. For a few moments, he forgot about his potion entirely. While his attraction to the beautiful redhead was everpresent, he had never had quite this much trouble controlling his reactions to her.

Rose turned her head to look at Scorpius and their eyes met once again. His gaze was so intense, so...heated, that she quite forgot what she'd meant to say. She simply stared back at him, feeling warmer by the second, and struggled with a vague sense that a question had been asked and that she was meant to answer it.

"It's, er...the...yes. I mean...er...the potion. It looks...fine," Rose stuttered breathily. She suddenly became aware of her hand resting on his knee, but instead of removing it, she found herself sliding it a few inches upward, kneading slightly. Scorpius groaned softly.

Albus looked on in horror as Scorpius slid and arm around Rose's waist and pulled her close against him. When he lowered his face to kiss her passionately, Al raised his hand and gestured urgently to Professor Cornfoot.

"Professor, there's something wrong with my friends," Al exclaimed. "I mean, they've just started dating and they're always snogging all over the place, but not like this." He paused, shuddering slightly. "Rose takes her prefect status very seriously. She would never do that in class if she were in her right mind."

Professor Cornfoot wore a look of mild amusement as he observed the highly demonstrative couple. "Ah, yes. That can sometimes happen," he remarked mildly. "The fumes of Amortentia are very powerful, you see, very unique. Even in its unfinished form, the potion produces aromas that can heighten arousal and attraction. When two people who already share a mutual romantic connection brew the potion together, the effects are not unlike intoxication. Given the naturally high hormone levels of teenagers and the newness of their relationship, this is not altogther surprising. It certainly isn't the first time I've witnessed such a thing. I see no need to discipline them."

"But how to do we stop it?" Al asked, wearing a look of deep disgust tinged with panic.

"Ah, they'll come to their senses once they reach the fresh air outside the classroom," Professor Cornfoot assured him before addressing the class at large. "Our time has come to an end for today. Please leave your cauldrons on your desks and I will move them to the brewing closet until our next session."

Rose and Scorpius pulled away from one another and gathered their things before heading toward the door, still looking at each other heatedly and standing much closer than was strictly appropriate. Taking pity on his friend, Al scooped the final ingredient from Scorpius' desk into his cauldron and stirred rapidly before lifting his own bag onto his shoulder and following the rest of the class out the door.


	7. The Talk

"I have never been so embarrassed in all my life!" Rose groaned, hiding her face behind her hands as she and Al sat across from one another in a quiet corner of the library.

"Calm down," Al replied, flipping through a large book that lay open on the table. "Surprisingly, not that many people even noticed. You two didn't start actually snogging until right before the class ended and most people were just trying to finish their own potions at that point. You might be the subject of gossip for a few days, but everyone was going to talk about you two anyway because you started dating over Christmas."

Rose sighed. "It's not as if I haven't endured worse," she muttered. "Oh, but what Professor Cornfoot must think of me!"

"You didn't get any points taken, did you?" Al pointed out reasonably. "He was completely calm about the whole thing. Apparently you two weren't the first of his students to be overcome with lust in the middle of his class."

Rose blushed and hid her face in her hands again.

"So what's this I hear about my little cousin and her blonde loverboy getting off in Potions?"

Rose whirled around and had her wand pointed at James' chest before he could even touch the chair he had been reaching for.

"If you write and tell my parents - or yours - I swear, James, I will hex you until you have to be carried to the hospital wing in a bucket!"

James held both hands up in a gesture of surrender. "When have I ever tattled on you?" he asked incredulously. "It's much too valuable having you on my side. I was only taking the mick. Calm down."

Rose lowered her wand and folded her arms on the table, dropping her head onto her arms and groaning. "This is awful. I honestly can't believe I didn't lose my badge. Mum's going to be a nightmare when she finds out and there's no way it won't get back to her with the sheer number of relatives and family friends we have roaming about this school."

"Cheer up, Rosie," James said, pulling out the chair next to her and taking a seat. "I have good news. Just got an owl from Uncle George. I sent him along the information and suggestions you had and he says he'll take care of it. Everything's all set."

Rose's head snapped up and she looked at James with glee. "Oh this is going to be brilliant," she breathed. "I can't wait to see Hugo's face."

"I don't suppose you two would actually consider explaining what you're on about," Al muttered.

"No can do, little brother," James quipped. "The fewer people that know, the better our chance of success. Rosie, here, is not even going to tell her boyfriend the plan. Where is Scorpius, anyway?"

"The git's taking a shower," Al grumbled.

"A shower? In the middle of the day?" James asked, surprised.

"Let me clarify. The git's taking a cold shower. Apparently getting out of the potions classroom cleared his head, but didn't do anything for the rest of him," Al explained, scowling.

James burst into laughter. Rose groaned again and hid her face once more. Al snapped his book shut and stood up from the table.

"Don't you have a NEWT to study for?" Al directed at his older brother. James rolled his eyes, still laughing, before standing up from the table and ruffling Rose's hair in farewell.

"All right there, Scor?" James chuckled as he passed the younger boy. Scorpius only nodded in reply. When he reached the table where Rose was still sitting with her head resting on her arms, he cleared his throat slightly and touched her gently on the shoulder.

"Rose, would you take a walk with me?" Scorpius asked quietly.

Rose lifted her head and looked up at the blonde boy standing next to her. His hair was damp and he wore a serious, almost nervous expression. She nodded, standing up from the table and pulling her bag over her shoulder before taking Scorpius' hand in hers.

They walked in silence, Scorpius leading them up several flights of stairs until they reached the portrait of the fat lady. Finding the Gryffindor common room sparsely occupied, they continued up the flight of stairs toward the sixth year boys' dormitory. As Scorpius closed the door behind them and dropped his bag onto his bed, Rose stood in the middle of the room, a slight smirk on her face.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to be alone in here?" she joked lightly. Scorpius' face paled.

"No! I mean...I don't want to...I mean, I didn't bring you here for..." Scorpius stuttered wildly.

"Ssh! Calm down," Rose replied. "I was only joking. I'm perfectly comfortable being alone with you, Scorpius."

Scorpius sighed. "I just wanted to be able to talk where we're not likely to be interrupted and won't be overheard." Rose nodded, taking a seat on the edge of Scorpius' bed. Scorpius, still agitated, paced back and forth a few times before sitting next to her.

"I want to apologize for my behavior this morning," Scorpius began. "I want you to know that even though you're beautiful and I'm very attracted to you, I'm not just looking to get into your knickers and I'd never pressure you or try to do anything you don't want to do."

Rose smiled, taking his hand in hers and leaning her head against his shoulder. "I know that. While I appreciate your chivalry, as much as either of us was responsible for our actions this morning, I was just as much to blame as you were. I happen to be very attracted to you as well."

"I just want you to understand that I might have certain, erm, physical reactions to being close to you, but I absolutely want to wait until we're both ready before we start acting on any of those desires," Scorpius said softly.

"I'm not sure readiness is the issue," Rose said thoughtfully. "I mean, we're both of age, we're both mature enough to be responsible about things. I absolutely meant it when I said I love you and I believe that you did as well."

"Does that mean you, er, want to...?" Scorpius trailed off, an expression of mild panic on his features. Rose laughed softly.

"No, er...well, not yet anyway. But it's more to do with..." she trailed off, trying to think of the right way to explain her thoughts. "Okay, for example, James peeks at his Christmas presents," Rose continued.

Confused was an inadequate description of Scorpius' state of mind. His first instinct was to check to see if Rose had been confunded but instead he only nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"Ever since we were little kids, he has always searched through the house to find his Mum's stash of gifts and find out what he's getting before Christmas morning. He simply can't stand the wait. When he was eight and I was seven, he convinced me to go along with him and we raided both Aunt Ginny and my Mum's hiding places. That year was awful for me. It wasn't just the guilt, which was admittedly a factor, but I just felt like all of the fun had been taken out of the whole season. There was no anticipation, no build-up to the big surprise. That was when I realized how much I enjoy that part of it. I like the anticipation. That's part of what makes it all fun."

Scorpius nodded again, cottoning on to her analogy. "So we'll take it slowly and enjoy the progression of things," he responded, stroking the back of Rose's hand with his thumb.

"Exactly," Rose responded, smiling. Suddenly, the smile turned seductive. "That said, I don't see any reason not to enjoy some anticipation together now, as long as we're here."

Scorpius groaned. "As much as it pains me, Rosie, I'm going to have to say no to that one. But only because I won't have time to take another cold shower before we have to be in Charms."

Rose was still chuckling as they descended the stairs into the common room.


	8. The Prank

The next several days flew by in a blur of classes, study sessions, and stolen moments in deserted corridors. Although sixth years were exempt from the pressure of impending exams that hung heavy over students above and below them, Rose's class schedule was rigorous and her homework load was significant. She was so absorbed in her studies that she'd quite managed to lose track of the days and was startled when her younger brother dropped into the seat across from her at breakfast one morning, an angry and tight-lipped expression on his face, and shoved a piece of paper across the table at her.

"What's this?" Rose asked, still nibbling on her bacon as she took the paper and held it up. It contained only two words.

FIX IT

Understanding dawned as Rose looked from the paper back to Hugo, who was still pressing his lips together so hard they had gone white. She slowly smiled, raised her eyebrows, and began to laugh.

"No can do, little brother," Rose chuckled. "Even if I wanted to, I can't. You'll have to wait for it to wear off on its own."

Hugo scowled murderously at his sister as Al and Scorpius sat down on either side of him.

"Good morning, Rose. Happy birthday, Hugo," Al yawned, reaching for the coffee.

"Good morning, Al," Rose replied cheerfully. Al seemed oblivious to the fact that Hugo had not responded as he piled sausages and eggs onto his plate. After a few sips of coffee and several bites of his breakfast, however, Al took notice of the silence and looked up to see Hugo still staring daggers at Rose.

"What's up, Hugh?" Al asked

Hugo remained silent, only lifting a hand and pointing it across the table at Rose, who shook with suppressed laughter. Al looked at Rose, then back at Hugo, before turning to Rose for an explanation.

"What'd you do, silence him?"

Rose shook her head, tears running down her face. "Oh, no, he can speak," she laughed. "It's just that...heh...whenever he...hmph...opens his mouth...all that he...he can do is..." Rose snorted with laughter at this point, causing the boys to stare at her in alarm. "All he can do is sing old Celestina Warbeck songs!" she finally burst out, slapping a hand on the table and dissolving into laughter.

Al and Scorpius looked from Rose to Hugo and burst out laughing as well. Hugo only scowled more deeply before reaching across the table to retrieve the paper he'd handed to his sister upon sitting down. Grabbing a quill from his bag, he scribbled two more words under the first message and handed it back to Rose.

HOW LONG?

Rose took several deep breaths to calm herself and smirked at Hugo. "Relax, birthday boy. As long as you only ate one, it'll wear off in about an hour. You won't even have to get through a class."

Hugo, however, had suddenly gone very pale.

"Ate one of what?" Scorpius asked, briefly diverting Rose's attention.

"The chocolates we sent him. Uncle George made them and I had him send it to look as if it was a birthday gift from Mandy Malone," Rose answered, eyeing Hugo suspiciously. "You did only eat one, didn't you?"

Hugo's response, if any, was lost as Al joined the conversation.

"Mandy Malone? Isn't she one of Lily's friends?"

"Yes, they're dormmates," Rose responded. "Lily suggested awhile ago that Hugo might fancy the lovely Miss Malone, so I decided that was an easy way to get past his defenses. Hugo, exactly how many chocolates did you eat?"

Hugo, who by now had buried his face in his hands and was leaning his elbows on the table, only shook his head in response.

"Hugo Arthur Weasley, tell me you did not eat the whole box!" Rose suddenly exclaimed.

"Why, what happens if he ate all of them?" Scorpius asked in alarm.

"Nothing serious, but the more he ate, the longer it'll last. If he ate the whole box in one go, he'll be like this all day long."

Once again, Al and Scorpius looked at Hugo and burst into laughter. Rose, on the other hand, just shook her head, gobsmacked at the idea that even her brother, who was a Weasley afterall, would consume an entire box of chocolates in a single sitting.

"Good morning!" Lily greeted the group as she slid into a seat next to Rose. "Happy birthday, Hugo. What have you done to him this year, Rose?"

"Oh, you'll see," Rose replied, still shaking her head. Lily turned to watch Hugo with interest as if she expected him to suddenly change color or begin growing antlers. After a moment, however, she shrugged and began to butter a slice of toast, resigned to the fact that whatever Hugo's misfortune was, it was not going to become immediately apparent.

"So, Rosie, do you and Scorpius have anything romantic planned for Valentine's Day?" Lily asked, changing the subject. "I hear there's a Hogsmeade day the weekend before."

"Absolutely not," Rose replied. "I'm going to take advantage of the quiet and get some studying done."

"That's a shame," Scorpius interjected. "I was rather hoping you'd accompany me into town."

Rose looked up from her breakfast with an expression of horror and astonishment on her face. "Oh, Scorpius, please don't!" she groaned.

"Don't what?"

"Don't go getting all sappy and cliche about Valentine's Day just because we're dating now. You know exactly what I think of all that nonsense."

Scorpius looked across the table at his girlfriend, wearing an expression of mock dejection. "Rose, don't you trust me? Just promise me you'll go to Hogsmeade with me and I assure you we will spend an afternoon entirely devoid of chiche or sap."

Rose's eyebrows drew together as she considered Scorpius' request. She was immediately wary and assumed he was up to something. Yet he seemed to genuinely want her to agree to the date. She decided to buy herself some time.

"I'll think about it," she answered.

Before Scorpius could respond, a hand fell onto Hugo's shoulder and the group of students looked up to see the owner of the hand smiling down at them.

"Good morning, Rose, Lily, Al, Scorpius," Professor Longbottom nodded at each of them in turn. "Happy birthday, Hugo. Fifteen already? I don't know where the time goes."

Hugo only shrugged as the other students greeted their teacher and friend.

"Listen, I don't wish to put a damper on your birthday, Hugo, but I've had to rearrange my schedule a bit and if you're going to make up that missed class from last week, I'm afraid you'll have to come in this afternoon."

Hugo suddenly looked up in alarm and began shaking his head.

"Now I know you probably have other plans," Neville continued. "But the Chatty Chestnuts will go dormant soon and if you don't practice talking to them while tending them now, I'll have no choice but to give you a zero for the lesson."

His eyes wide in panic and desperation, Hugo looked around wildly for some kind of solution or escape before bursting out in frustration, "I'll boil you up some hot strong love!"

The sound of hysterical laughter was punctuated by a loud thump as Rose fell off her chair.


	9. Snow and Snogging

_Shplat!_

The satisfying sound of a slushy collision between snow and flesh, followed by a decidedly unmanly shriek, told Rose that she'd hit her target. She stifled a giggle as she ducked back behind the tree she'd claimed as refuge, just in time to avoid the hail of snowballs that zoomed through the air around her.

"I think they're cheating!" Lily called from a nearby tree. "There's no way they could launch that many snowballs at once without magic, even if they're all working together."

"Let them cheat!" Rose replied. "We're still crushing them!"

"That's because there's more of us," laughed Alice from Rose's other side.

"Plus, we've got the better position," added Molly, another of Rose and Lily's cousins, as she stealthily scooped a generous handful of snow from a low-hanging branch and began forming it into a ball. "It's really just a shame that Dom and Vic aren't here. Then the boys really wouldn't stand a chance."

"Ahh, but then my brother would be in the game, on their side," argued Roxanne. "Which might even things up a bit."

"Fair point," Molly conceded as she took aim and threw the snowball in a perfect arc, causing it to land neatly behind a large boulder at the edge of Hagrid's garden, where one of the boys was hiding.

_Shplat!_

"Aaaaaaaaargh!"

Another hail of snowballs flew into the forest, none of them finding any of the half dozen girls who were hiding amongst the trees.

"Alright girls, let's end this thing," Lily called, a large snowball in each hand. She let out a startlingly loud war cry as she ran out of the forest, arms raised above her head. The rest of the girls followed, jumping over rocks and around hedges, pelting the boys at close range when they found them. Rose had just delivered two snowballs directly into James' face and was bending to grab another handful of snow when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her bodily from the ground.

"You got snow down my shirt, you little minx," a familiar voice growled in her ear and Rose shrieked as she was carried out of the garden and around the other side of Hagrid's house.

"How do you know it was me?" Rose asked, laughing, as she squirmed out of Scorpius' grasp and stumbled away from him. "It might have been any of the girls that hit you."

"Because I saw you," he replied, advancing slowly toward her. "The snowball hit me in the back of my head and I turned around just in time to see you jump back behind your tree."

"So what if it was me?" she laughed, still edging away from him. "What do you plan to do about it?"

"Get revenge, of course."

Scorpius sprung forward suddenly, tackling Rose and bringing both of them crashing into the snowy earth. Rose shrieked with laughter as they wrestled, rolling back and forth as each tried to gain advantage over the other. After a few minutes, Scorpius managed to pin Rose beneath him by straddling her hips and holding each of her wrists against the ground with his hands. She looked up at him, her cheeks and nose red from cold, her blue eyes glassy and bright, and her lips curved into a mischevious grin.

"You think you've won, do you?" she asked.

"I'm feeling rather confident at the moment, yes," Scorpius replied smugly.

Rose only raised an eyebrow in response before suddenly rolling her hips firmly against his. The smile vanished from Scorpius' face as he breathed in sharply and closed his eyes. Rose took advantage of his moment of weakness to free one of her hands, but instead of continuing the struggle, she wrapped it around the back of his neck and pulled his face down to meet hers.

The heat of his mouth was a searing contrast to the frigid air. Rose savored the feel of his soft lips against hers briefly before opening her mouth slightly to deepen the kiss. Scorpius groaned and shifted his body so that he was laying flat against her, releasing her other hand and allowing her to wrap her arms around him. Their breathing, already quickened by their previous activity, created billowing, swirling fog around their faces as they lay together in the snow.

Each of them was so distracted by the other that the sudden quiet in the garden went unnoticed, as did the crunch of many footsteps approaching from around the house. Only when about twenty snowballs were fired from several directions at the couple did they spring apart, yelping and cringing from the onslaught.

"Ahhhrgh! What was that for?" Scorpius cried, sitting up and brushing snow from his hair and face.

"Traitors, the both of you!" Lily accused, smirking.

"Yeah, deserting your teams in their time of need and sneaking off to fraternize with the enemy," Al added. "You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"You're just jealous," came Rose's retort as she scooped a handful of snow and flung it at him. "Besides, I'll have you know that I was kidnapped. Scorpius dragged me over here against my will."

"You looked pretty willing from where I'm standing," Roxanne chimed in. Rose stuck her tongue out at her caramel-skinned cousin as the assembled students laughed.

"Alright, enough of this," Scorpius said, standing up and reaching out a hand to help Rose. "It's freezing out here and I'm hungry. Lets get inside, dry off, and have some lunch."

"Hear, hear!" James agreed, leading the way as the group stumbled through the snow up to the castle.

Later that evening, warm and dry and sharing a single oversized armchair, Rose and Scorpius were debating the outcome of the snowball fight.

"Of course we won!" Rose insisted. "How can you even suggest that it was anything but a complete annihilation?"

"I'm not saying you didn't win," Scorpius replied. "I just don't think it was quite as one-sided as you seem to remember."

"It was," Al interrupted, dropping into an adjacent armchair. "But you'd know that if you'd stuck around for the finish instead of sneaking off to snog my cousin."

Scorpius grinned at his friend. "Rose's right, mate. You are jealous. In fact, I think you're hacked off that you didn't think of it first."

"That's disgusting, mate! We're first cousins!" Al replied.

"Not Rose, you muppet!" Scorpius exclaimed. "One of the other girls."

"They were all my cousins, ..."

"Except Alice," Rose pointed out, smiling. A faint pink tinge crept across Al's cheeks.

"I knew it," Scorpius laughed. "Have you got a soft spot for the Hufflepuffs, Al?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Al replied, scowling at the open book in his lap.

"Why don't you just ask her out?" Rose implored. "The worst she can say is, 'No'. But I don't think she will. Ever since Lily made that comment at New Year's, I've noticed how much she blushes when you're around. It's a safe bet that she fancies you back."

Al's mumbled response was unintelligible.

"Come again?" Rose asked. Al sighed as he looked up at her.

"That's not what I'm worried about. Her dad is Professor Longbottom. She's Neville's _daughter_. If I ask her out and she says yes and we start dating, how awkward is that going to be? How am I supposed to look him in the eye during herbology when I've just been out snogging his daughter?"

Rose couldn't help it. She began to laugh. Scorpius grinned for a moment before composing his features and looking seriously at his friend.

"Look, Al, every girl has a Dad. Just because you have to see hers on a daily basis is no reason not to give this thing a go. The time has come to show your true Gryffindor colors, mate."

The use of his own words was not lost on Al. As he continued to scowl at his book, Rose stopped laughing.

"Think about it, Al. I don't imagine it was easy for your dad to look mine in the eye when he first started dating Aunt Ginny, but if he hadn't taken the chance, you wouldn't even be here. If you really like her, then she should be worth enduring a few awkward moments."

Al nodded, still not taking his eyes from his book. After a moment, he closed the book and stood up.

"I'm going down to the library. I'll see you guys later."

Rose and Scorpius watched as Al crossed the room and disappeared through the portrait hole.

"D'you think he'll ask her?" Rose wondered, still looking at the door through which her cousin had recently left.

"I think he will," Scorpius replied, leaning slightly to nuzzled Rose's exposed neck.

"Well, I hope he does it soon," she remarked, turning her head back toward her boyfriend. "The sooner he has someone of his own to snog, the sooner he'll stop grouching about us."

"Speaking of which..." Scorpius muttered, smiling devilishly. Rose giggled.


	10. A Detour

"Goodnight, Sweetie."

"Goodnight, Dad." Alice closed the greenhouse door behind her and began to walk toward the castle before she noticed something moving at the corner of her vision. Turning her head, she squinted through the gradually deepening dusk to see a small figure zooming through the air over the quidditch pitch. There was just enough light to reveal the flyer's shaggy black hair flapping about his head as he maneuvered on his broom. Alice smiled to herself and glanced over her shoulder to make sure that her father was still engrossed in his work before turning away from the castle and hurrying off into the darkness.

Al was in a world of his very own, the wind in his ears blocking out all other noise and the adrenaline in his system soothing his irritated nerves. For as long as he could remember, he had found relaxation by flying. It was a way to vent steam and clear his head. His father often reminisced about his first broom ride, but Albus couldn't remember his any better than he could remember his first steps. Given their parentage, it seemed natural that all three Potter children would have been taught to fly from a very young age.

_"It can be a bit disorienting when you find yourself the odd man out for the first time."_

Albus remembered his father's warning as he soared around the goal hoops at one end of the pitch and turned back toward the center. It wasn't that he was unhappy about his friends' relationship. He had encouraged Scorpius to pursue Rose, after all. It hadn't caught him off guard either. He'd had a long time to come to terms with the idea, since he had noticed the signs of their mutual attraction long before either of them had had any idea what was going on. There was no denying that it was bloody awkward hanging around the two of them when they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other, but if anything truly bothered Albus, it was his own irritation. He wanted to be completely happy for them and it troubled him that he felt any discontent whatsoever.

Al turned into a sharp dive and raced dangerously toward the snow-covered grass of the pitch before pulling back at the last moment and skimming along just above its surface. Maybe his friends had a point. Perhaps it was jealousy that was eating at him lately.

At that moment a flash of movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Before he could even turn his head to focus on the intruder, he was knocked forcefully from his broom onto the pitch. Al and his assailant rolled several time before they came to a stop, Al on his back and the other person lying rather intimately on top of him.

"What the -!" Al shouted, struggling against the disorientation of falling from his broom and the weight of the unknown person who had caused it. He opened his eyes to see a smiling – and very pretty –round face looking back at him.

"Something on your mind, Potter?" Alice asked him cheekily. Al only stared at her for several moments, unable to form coherent thought, much less speech.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly, once he'd regained control over his vocal chords. Alice smirked slightly before leaning in close and muttering softly into his ear.

"I got tired of waiting for you to pluck up your Gryffindor courage. So when I saw you flying all alone out here, I thought I'd do something to get your attention." Al raised his eyebrows and Alice pulled back to look him in the eye for a moment before kissing him soundly.

Al's senses were overwhelmed. The girl was all softness and warmth, a stark contrast to the cold, wet ground beneath him, of which he was only vaguely aware at the moment. All of the daydreams and stray thoughts he had indulged in over the past several months were no match for the reality of having her body pressed firmly against his. He instinctively moved his hand to her head, threading his fingers gently into her soft blonde hair as he kissed her back.

Alice pulled away first, still smirking at the gobsmacked boy on the ground. "Well, I'd better be getting back to the common room," she remarked nonchalantly. "I don't want to be caught out after curfew."

Al continued to lie in the snow as Alice picked herself up and collected her broom. Coming to his senses as she began to walk away, he jumped up rather suddenly and called after her.

"Alice!" She turned, giving him her attention, but saying nothing. "Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

Alice smiled brilliantly and nodded before turning to walk back toward the castle. Al watched her go, a small smile on his face, before turning to find his broom hovering obediently where he'd left it. He grabbed it and, shaking snow from his hair as he went, followed after the girl.

The next morning, Al couldn't honestly be sure whether he'd dreamed the entire thing or not. He lay in bed, reliving the encounter in his mind until his dormmates saw fit to oust him rather rudely. Later, as he sat down for breakfast, Scorpius finally laid into him.

"Alright, mate, spill it," the blonde boy demanded. Rose looked up from her breakfast, watching the two boys with interest.

"What are you talking about?" Al mumbled, glancing over his shoulder at the Hufflepuff table, where Alice caught his eye and winked subtly.

"I'm talking about why you came in just before curfew last night, soaking wet, and didn't even bother to explain where you'd been, much less actually talk to us. Then you stay in bed this morning like you could care less whether you ate breakfast or not. Now you're only half listening to me while you keep looking over at the Hufflepuff table and grinning like an idiot. So stop pretending to be daft and just tell us what's going on."

Al smirked into his tea as he looked across the table at his two best friends. Scorpius looked annoyed and Rose was giving him an unnervingly knowing look. He decided he might as well explain himself.

"I've got a date with Alice," he confessed softly, not wanting to share this new development with the entire table.

"Finally!" Scorpius nearly shouted, rolling his eyes. Rose shoved her boyfriend lightly, laughing at him as Al scowled across the table.

"So, what happened?" Rose pressed, glancing over at Alice and back to her cousin.

"She, um…she knocked me off my broom," Al muttered. Both his friends stared at him with similarly confused expressions.

"As in…?" Scorpius prompted.

"As in literally knocked me off my broom," Al explained. "I went flying last night and I'm going along just a bit off the ground when she comes out of nowhere and takes me right off the broom onto the pitch. I ask her what she's doing and she says she's tired of waiting for me to gather my courage so she's getting my attention. Then we…" Al trailed off at this point, blushing deeply.

"Albus?!" Rose demanded, looking slightly scandalized. This time it was Scorpius who was looking at him knowingly.

"We kissed!" Al hissed at them. "It was just a kiss. Then, when she was walking back to the castle, I called after her and asked her to go to Hogsmeade with me."

"Mate, you may not have done anything except kiss, but from the look on your face, I don't think 'just' applies here. Maybe 'one hell of a'?" Scorpius teased. Al just grinned at his friend.

"You've got that right, mate." Al looked back over his shoulder once more. "I didn't know she had it in her. She always seems so shy."

"Oh she can be forceful when she needs to be," Rose commented. "Obviously she found it necessary where you were concerned."

"All the better for me," Al chuckled.

"I always thought boys wanted to be the ones to initiate things," Rose mused.

Scorpius snorted. "The chauvinist prats, maybe, but most blokes prefer a girl who will take the guesswork out of things. Give me an aggressive girl any day of the week." Looking up and catching the expression on Rose's face, he continued, "Not that I want any other girl, of any kind, of course, because I have you."

"Nicely saved," Rose responded dryly.


	11. Hogsmeade, Part 1

"Alright, I am agreeing to go on this date with you under the condition that it is simply an ordinary date."

"Of course"

"No gifts."

"None"

"No grand romantic gestures."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"And if you take me within twenty feet of that horrid tea shop, I'll hex your hair Weasley red for a month."

"Understood, can we go now?" Scorpius held his hand out to his girlfriend, his expression imploring. Rose grudgingly unfolded her arms and took the offered hand in her own. Scorpius chuckled slightly as he led her from the common room and down the stairs toward the great hall.

"Your logic is flawed, you know," Scorpius remarked as the two sat down to breakfast. Rose raised an eyebrow, challenging him to continue. "You think that it's stupid to have a holiday dedicated to love because people should show love every day. But every day includes Valentine's Day. If you insist that we can't do anything romantic because it's Valentine's Day, you're contradicting your own argument."

"First of all, it's not actually Valentine's Day until Tuesday and second, I never said we couldn't do anything romantic. I just hate all of the cliché stuff. Sappy cards and unoriginal gifts have nothing to do with love."

"Fair enough," Scorpius conceded, slipping an arm around Rose's waist and pulling her closer. "But I've already promised that there will be none of that today or any other day, so you can relax and just try to have a good time."

Rose rolled her eyes but was smiling as she nodded her head in acquiescence. As she tucked in to her bacon, Al sat down across from her and reached for a pastry, grinning brightly.

"Good morning," he quipped cheerfully. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?" Rose asked warily while Scorpius choked with laughter.

The walk to the village was cold but clear and sunny. Scorpius and Rose walked close together, greeting friends as they walked, ran, slid, or tumbled past. Al, who was walking several yards ahead of his friends, attempted to steady his date as she slipped on a particularly icy patch, only to lose his own footing in the process. Rose and Scorpius laughed merrily at their friends' predicament. Rose might have felt bad, but it was obvious that the other couple were also finding the humor in the situation. Once everyone had managed to calm their laughter, Rose and Scorpius helped Al and Alice to their feet before hurrying ahead and into the village.

"What would you like to do first?" Scorpius asked.

"Bookshop!" Rose replied, her eyes lighting up. Scorpius grinned and rolled his eyes.

"I should have guessed," he chuckled, turning toward Tomes and Scrolls.

As Rose perused the shelves for yet unread treasures, Scorpius strolled along behind her, amusing himself with whatever caught his attention. They had been in the store for ten minutes or so when Scorpius broke the comfortable silence.

"Rose, would you say that I am very studious, moderately studious, or not studious at all?"

"Moderately studious," Rose replied automatically. "Wait, what are you talking about?" She turned to find her boyfriend lounging in an armchair, seemingly intent on the issue of Teen Witch that he was holding open in front of him. She stepped behind the chair to read over his shoulder, clapping a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Which Weasley are You?" she gasped. "You have to be joking!"

"Apparently I'm Albus," Scorpius chuckled. "I guess I could do worse. He is my best mate. Sit down; I'll see who you get."

Rose rolled her eyes as she sat in a chair next to Scorpius' and answered a series of inane questions that he read from the magazine. Finally, he flipped the page over and, after reading for a moment, began to laugh.

"You, Rose Weasley, are James Potter," Scorpius announced, once his laughter subsided. "These descriptions are hilarious. Here, read yours."

Rose took the magazine and found the paragraph titled "Rose Weasley: The Bookworm"

"You are Rose," she read aloud. "'The most hardworking and studious of the young Weasleys, Rose is a Gryffindor prefect and top student. She shuns quidditch and mischief-making in favor of more serious pursuits. Her favorite pastimes are reading and tutoring younger students. She aspires to enter the Ministry after finishing at Hogwarts.' Wow, they don't know me at all."

"Well, considering that your parents have all managed to keep the press away from you lot, they don't have any choice but to make it up," Scorpius reasoned. "How is it that they've managed that for all these years anyway?"

"I asked my dad once," Rose answered. "He said that Mum has a powerful journalist in her pocket, but then Mum shushed him and I never found out who – or how."

Scorpius returned the magazine to its place on the rack while Rose purchased the books she had selected and the couple headed back out into the snowy main street.

"Spintwitches?" Scorpius asked, taking Rose's hand in his own. His girlfriend nodded enthusiastically and they walked toward the busy sporting goods store. Wedging their way through the crowd, they stopped to admire various items on display. Rose picked up a practice snitch that was designed to return to its box after one hour if it wasn't caught, thinking that it would make a good birthday gift for Al. Scorpius remarked that Al's birthday wasn't for six months, but Rose shrugged, explaining that she preferred to plan ahead.

As they reached the back of the store where various team apparel was hung, Rose let out a squeal and dashed forward, plucking a violently orange shirt from its rack and holding it up for inspection. On the front was a familiar double C emblem with what appeared to be a speeding cannonball underneath. The back of the shirt read, "Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best" in bold black lettering. Rose held it up in front of herself, turning to Scorpius as if to ask his opinion. To his credit, he did his very best not to laugh. The bright orange shirt clashed spectacularly with Rose's hair, but the ecstatic expression on her face was priceless.

"If only those barmy quiz writers could see you now," Scorpius chuckled. "'Shuns quidditch and mischief-making' my arse."

"They only assume I don't like quidditch because I don't play."

"Can't play," Scorpius corrected with a smirk.

"Oi! Be nice. It's not my fault I inherited my father's enthusiasm for the game and my mother's talent," Rose responded with a scowl.

"You're not as bad as Aunt Hermione," Al interjected, appearing behind Scorpius with Alice beside him. "You actually fly a broom rather well."

"Yeah, just don't expect her to handle anything while she's in the air," Scorpius chuckled. Rose continued to scowl until Scorpius stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lightly on the lips in apology.

"Look what I found!" Al continued, holding up a small box. "It's a practice snitch. If you don't catch it within the hour, it'll come back to its box on its own."

Rose groaned as Scorpius laughed.


	12. Hogsmeade, Part 2

Lunchtime found the two couples sharing a table at the Three Broomsticks. Scorpius and Al had a few more laughs at Rose's expense until Alice came to her friend's defense with an extremely amusing story about Al's attempt to perform one of the muggle magic tricks at his uncle's shop. Rose told her cousin about the quiz in Teen Witch and he snorted into his butterbeer as she quoted from the descriptions of various family members. Finally, when the last of the chips had been picked off and all that remained of the battered cod were a few vinegar splotches, they marched back out into the cold and went their separate ways.

Rose and Scorpius stopped at Honeydukes only briefly, each selecting a few favorite sweets to take back to the castle. Then they wandered into the Hogsmeade branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Rosie!" George called out as she entered the shop. "I'm glad you're here. Follow me."

Rose threw a confused look over her shoulder at her boyfriend before following her uncle to the office at the back of the store. As the two teens stepped inside, George closed the door behind them and then turned to give Rose a small sack that was heavy with coins.

"Uncle George, what is this?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"That is your commission. Your Melodic Mints idea was pure genius. You are now officially part of my R&D team."

"Uncle George!" Rose gasped, attempting to push the money back into his hands. "I can't do that! What if someone found out? What if –"

"Rose, calm down," George replied. "You forget that I've been working around your mother since she was just an ickle first year. She's not going to find out. No one will ever know. Scorpius here isn't going to tattle on you, is he?"

Scorpius only shook his head. George tapped his nose and nodded at the two before chivying them out the door and back into the shop.

"I can't believe that just happened," Rose whispered, glancing around shiftily as she tried to stuff the heavy bag of money into her pocket. Scorpius grinned.

"Look, I know you're worried about keeping everything quiet," he murmured softly. "But you have to admit it's pretty awesome that your uncle is willing to pay you for your ideas. You'll probably be raking in the galleons while the rest of us are living off meager trainees' earnings in a couple of years."

Rose smiled slightly and rolled her eyes as the two continued wandering through the shop. Examining new merchandise and smiling at old favorites, they moved easily through the crowd until Scorpius stopped to pluck a greeting card from its place on a display.

"Aaaaargh!" he shouted. Rose, along with everyone in the immediate vicinity, turned to look at the source of the commotion. Scorpius was covered from head to foot in sparkling rainbow confetti, which had apparently sprung from the open card he held in his hands.

"Oh dear," Rose muttered before clapping a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. It didn't do much good, however, as she was soon bent double with mirth. Scorpius turned to look at her, his face expressionless. As she stood up straight, wiping the tears from her eyes, he suddenly held the now closed card out in front of himself and opened it again, showering Rose in the same colorful sparkles.

"Ack!" she yelped, attempting and failing to move out of the path of the glitter. Recklessly, she grabbed a card at random from the shelf and turned to open it toward Scorpius. This one sprayed him with water, which helped to rinse away some of the confetti, but left him wet and sputtering instead. He grabbed yet another card in retaliation, but unfortunately his chosen greeting only sung "Happy Birthday" in a howler-volume, slightly off-key voice. At this, both of them fell to the floor, breathless and delirious with laughter.

"Oi! Who's mucking up my shop?" a voice called through the crowd. George broke through the assembled students and looked down at the hysterical couple on the floor, covered in glitter. Snorting with amusement, he vanished the confetti and hit Scorpius with a drying spell before helping them to their feet.

"Go on, you two," George snickered. "Go frighten someone else's customers." Rose attempted to express an apology in between bursts of helpless giggling, but George only shook his head, grinning, and waved them away. Scorpius grabbed Rose's hand and the two stumbled out into the street.

"You should have seen yourself!" Rose howled, still laughing. "Oh, ouch, my face hurts." She pressed both hands to her cheeks in an attempt to force the grin from her face. Scorpius caught Rose up in his arms and spun her around before stopping to admire the beautiful woman before him. Laughter had left her cheeks reddened and her eyes brighter than normal. She was still smiling, despite her best efforts, and a few stray bits of confetti stubbornly clung to her wild red curls. Unable to resist, he pulled her close and engaged her in a passionate kiss.

"Get a room!" someone shouted a few moments later. Breaking the kiss, Scorpius smirked down at Rose and raised an eyebrow, muttering, "Now there's an idea." Rose laughed and shoved him playfully.

Walking back to the castle, they alternated between easy conversation, comfortable silence, and fits of uncontrollable laughter. As they walked into the entrance hall, Scorpius stopped and pulled Rose close to him once more.

"So, did I deliver on my promise of a sap-free, un-cliché Valentine's Day date?" he muttered softly as he brushed his nose up the side of her neck. She squirmed slightly and nodded.

"Yes, I had a really wonderful time. I'm sorry I doubted you."

"You're forgiven. Just don't let it happen again," he responded in mock seriousness. Rose rolled her eyes and turned to walk upstairs toward Gryffindor tower. At the top of the staircase, however, she stopped short and darted into an alcove, pulling Scorpius along with her.

"What -?" Scorpius' question was cut short as Rose placed a hand over his mouth. She then held the index finger of her other hand against her lips in a shushing motion. Removing her hand from Scorpius' mouth, she turned and pointed down the hallway that they had just vacated. Craning his neck, Scorpius could see a couple snogging in the corridor. The boy had his back against the wall and the girl was pressed tightly against him, her fingers tangled in the boy's already messy black hair.

"Filthy hypocrite," Scorpius whispered, causing Rose to smirk. "We ought to interrupt them; he's done it to us enough."

"That wouldn't be fair to Alice," Rose responded under her breath.

"So what are we going to do?" Scorpius continued, still whispering. "If we walk out of here, they're sure to notice us. Standing here spying on them is just creepy."

"Well," Rose muttered, sliding her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders and drawing him close. "We could always keep each other occupied until they leave." Scorpius smiled and was about to kiss her when the sound of footsteps startled the pair. They leaned forward together to peek around the corner into the hallway.

The footsteps came to an abrupt halt as Professor Longbottom noticed the couple in the hall. Albus and Alice sprung apart, both red-faced and wearing similar expressions of extreme embarrassment. The hallway was suspended in uncomfortable silence for several long moments.

"Al, Alice," Neville greeted the pair awkwardly.

"Hi Dad," Alice squeaked. Al could only nod, refusing to meet the professor's gaze. Silence once again descended on the scene.

"Oh dear, it seems I've forgotten -," Neville suddenly burst out, turning on his heel and walking back the way he had come, muttering to himself as he went.

Al covered his face in his hands, muttering a stream of colorful swear words as Rose and Scorpius tumbled out of the alcove, once again overcome with laughter.

"I told you we should have interrupted them, Rose," Scorpius sputtered gleefully. "Although I'm glad we didn't, because that was bloody priceless!"

Fortunately, Rose was able to conjure a shield charm in time to protect her boyfriend from her cousin's series of jinxes.


	13. Swotting

"So was I right?" Rose asked as she sat down next to Albus at dinner that evening.

"What about?" he asked, looking confused.

"Was she worth it?" Rose clarified. "If you had to do today all over again, knowing about everything that was going to happen, would you still go through with it?"

Al smiled at his plate for a moment before responding. "Abso-bloody-lutely," he finally muttered. Rose beamed. Then, grabbing a plate, she began to pile various foods into a large pyramid, which she balanced carefully on one hand as she stood up and grabbed her bag with her other hand and slung it over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Al asked.

"Scor and I are revising in the library," she explained. "He's having trouble in transfiguration and I agreed to help him."

"Don't you think Ms. Lebris is going to have a problem with you carrying a giant plate of food into the library?"

Rose scoffed. "Are you joking? She loves me. Besides, Scorpius is already there, and when I get to the door, he's going to ask her to help him find a book while I sneak this over to a table in the back."

"Diabolical," Albus muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Oh, Rosie?" he called out as she walked away. "Tell Scorpius that I'm sorry. You know, for trying to hex him." Rose smiled.

"He knows," she answered. "For what it's worth, he's sorry for laughing at you."

"Yeah, I can't actually blame him," Al chuckled. "I'd have probably laughed if it was you two."

Rose grinned at him once more before turning to leave the great hall and head upstairs to the library. As she approached the heavy double doors, she stepped to the side and caught Scorpius' eye through the glass panels in the door. She watched him stand and walk toward the front desk. After a moment, she pushed through the doors and quietly moved through the library toward the secluded table where she'd agreed to meet her boyfriend.

After a several minutes, he turned a corner at the end of a nearby aisle and walked toward her. Dropping into the chair across from her, he grabbed a roll from the plate of food as Rose leaned forward and pushed the book she was looking at toward him.

"So I think we should start by going over the theory," Rose began.

"I've memorized the bloody theory," Scorpius growled.

"Yes, but the ability to recite it is irrelevant if you don't actually understand it," Rose replied gently. "We'll go through it together and sort out anything that doesn't make sense to you."

An hour later, they were still sitting together, an assortment of books spread haphazardly across the table between them and the plate of food reduced to crumbs. Scorpius was feeling tired and overwhelmed, but he had to admit that Rose was helping a great deal.

"Alright, I think you should try this one," Rose suggested, pointing to a spell in his textbook. "Try to turn my eyes brown." Scorpius swallowed and looked at her with panic on his face.

"But I like your eyes blue," he argued, somewhat pathetically. Rose looked at him for a moment, realization dawning on her features.

"You're afraid you're going to hurt me," she said quietly. "That's why human transfiguration has been such a problem for you. You're afraid of doing something wrong and someone getting hurt." Scorpius looked down at the table, unable to meet her gaze. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Scorpius' mumbled reply was mostly unintelligible, but Rose didn't ask him to repeat it. Instead, she reached across the table and grasped his hand in her own.

"Don't you realize what that says about you?" she implored. "That you care so much for other people's wellbeing? That's an amazing thing, Scorpius. That's the kind of thing that makes me love you even more."

Scorpius snorted. "Shame you're not setting the test." Rose laughed quietly.

"No, I'm not and even if I was, you'd still have to be able to perform the spells to pass," she replied. "But this makes a huge difference. I thought you were just having trouble with the magic itself. What we need to work on now is your mindset. You need to trust yourself to cast the spell correctly."

The couple continued to revise and practice well into the night. With Rose's coaching, Scorpius finally succeeded in not only changing her eye color, but also vanishing her freckles and altering the shape of her nose as well.

"Finite," Rose murmured as she passed her wand in front of her own face, returning to her normal appearance. She yawned before smiling sleepily at Scorpius.

"You're doing loads better," she remarked. "We should probably head back though. What time – Merlin's pants!" Rose jumped in alarm as she looked at her watch. "Curfew was nearly an hour ago. How are we even still here? Ms. Lebris should have kicked us out ages ago."

"She must have just assumed we'd left," Scorpius speculated, gathering books and helping Rose pack up her bag. "She seemed a bit distracted earlier. Maybe she forgot we were here."

Rose cast a nonverbal spell to return the borrowed books to their shelves before pulling her own bag over her shoulder and taking Scorpius' hand in her own.

"Well, now we're going to have to sneak back to the common room without getting caught. If we meet another prefect, I might be able to plead for leniency, but we don't stand a chance if we run into a professor."

Rose pressed the library door open just far enough to poke her head through and look up and down the corridor, before pulling the rest of herself and Scorpius through. They hurried off in the direction of Gryffindor tower, but found themselves brought up short by the presence of Peeves, bobbing around a corridor and singing to himself. Rose cursed as they turned back around to avoid the poltergeist.

"There's a concealed passageway that'll put us right down the hall from the fat lady, but we have to go down a couple of floors to get to it," she whispered. "Merlin, what I wouldn't give for James' map right about now."

"Or Al's cloak," Scorpius added. They hurried down the stairs as quickly as they could while still making very little noise. They turned one corner, than another, and were half a corridor away from the tapestry that hid their desired destination when the sound of footsteps caused Scorpius to panic slightly and dart through the closest doorway, pulling Rose with him.

"You do realize that you've hidden us in a girls' loo?" Rose whispered at her boyfriend. He only shushed her. A tense silence surrounded them as they stood close together, listening to the footsteps in the hall grow closer and then gradually farther away. Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief, his body relaxing, as it became apparent that they were not going to be discovered. As his panic subsided, he became aware of several things that he had not previously noticed. One was that they were, in fact, in a lavatory. Another was that his body was pressed very tightly against his girlfriend, who was, in turn, pressed firmly against a wall.

Judging by the twitching at the corners of Rose's mouth, she had not missed the significance of their position either. Sliding her arms around Scorpius' waist and holding him tight against her, she tilted her chin up, looking into his eyes with something akin to challenge in her expression.

Scorpius was a Gryffindor but he wasn't about to pass up an invitation like that in the name of chivalry. He grinned wickedly before leaning down to press his lips to hers. He breathed in her scent as he kissed her, stroking her face and neck softly with his fingertips. Her arms loosened from his waist only to slide upward and wrap around his neck. He groaned as she used her arms to pull herself upward a bit and tighter against his body. She smiled and snogged him more forcefully. In response, he slid his hands down her body, grasping one of her thighs with his hand and pulling it up over his hip. She whimpered.

Rose was overwhelmed by the sensations she was experiencing. Adrenaline from having been nearly caught only served to intensify her excitement. Somewhere in the very back of her consciousness, a tiny voice was warning her that there was a time and place for things and this was not it. But the shivers and thrills she felt as Scorpius kissed and caressed her were sufficient to drown out the rational part of her brain. Her body moved on its own, shifting and pressing itself against his without her consciously meaning to.

Scorpius was thoroughly involved in covering Rose's neck in kisses when she gasped rather loudly, startling him to his senses. He pulled back and looked at her, taking in her flushed cheeks, closed eyes, and labored breathing. When she opened her eyes and looked back at him, he smiled slightly and cleared his throat.

"Rose, if we get caught here, like this, it's going to be much worse than just being out after curfew," he muttered, taking a step back. "I don't want you to lose your badge." Rose nodded, taking a deep breath and attempting to straighten her hair and clothes. Right before she could pull the door open to leave, however, he pulled her close once more. "But you should know that you're the sexiest woman I've ever seen and I love you," he whispered. Rose replied with a smile and a quick, light kiss before slipping out into the hallway.


	14. Dirigible Plum Juice

Rose woke early the next morning despite having been out rather later than usual the night before. She stretched and yawned before rolling over and grinning giddily into her pillow. Yesterday had been an amazing day. She indulged in a few reminiscences before rolling out of bed and heading for the shower.

Musing about the little detour she and Scorpius had had on their way back to the tower the night before, she couldn't help imagining how it might have gone if they had been well and truly alone, not out of bounds and not in danger of being discovered. She realized, guiltily, that she had been quite out of her senses in the moment and that if Scorpius had not stopped when he did, things may easily have progressed into territory that she was quite unprepared for. She made up her mind in that moment to prevent any such occurrence in the future.

Once showered, Rose put on fresh clothes, applied a little light makeup, and used some of her favorite hair potion to keep her wild mane of curls somewhat under control. Then, glancing around to be sure that her dormmates were all still asleep, she dug into her trunk and pulled a slim, light blue book from the very bottom. Opening it to a dog-eared page near the back, she scribbled a few lines on a scrap of parchment and stuck it in her pocket before returning the book to its place. She put on her shoes and grabbed her wand before checking her appearance one last time.

That was when she screamed.

Several minutes later, an irate Rose Weasley stormed into the great hall, seemingly oblivious to the stares that followed her everywhere she walked. As she entered, those who were already eating breakfast stopped and looked at her, some dissolving into laughter while others simply gaped. She stormed toward the Gryffindor table where, being farthest from the door, most people had not yet noticed her.

"Hugo Arthur Weasley!" Rose shouted as she approached. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

Upon hearing his sister screaming at him, Hugo turned around, half a piece of bacon hanging from his mouth, and promptly began to choke with laughter. Rose was standing over him, hands on her hips and a murderous expression on her face. Her hair was standing straight up on end, not as if she had slept on it and failed to brush it out, but as if someone had cast and anti-gravity spell on it. It seemed to float around her head, swaying and whirling as she moved. She looked like a ginger mermaid.

"No," Hugo sputtered. "Not my idea, but I wish it was. That's brilliant." Rose reached out and smacked him on the upper arm.

"This is not brilliant!" she screeched. "How did you do this? Did James help you? Fix it, right now, Hugo Weasley."

"Ow, you barmy bint!" Hugo protested. "I told you I didn't do it. I can't fix it if I don't even know how it was done."

"Dirigible plum juice!"

Rose, Hugo and the other nearby occupants of the table stopped and stared at the tiny boy who had spoken. Lorcan Scamander looked startled at being the center of so much attention, but held his ground. While another second year might have cowered and ran under the scrutiny of an angry Rose Weasley, the Scamander boys had grown up around the Weasleys and Potters and were used to such things.

"What did you say?" Rose asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"Dirigible plum juice," Lorcan repeated calmly. "Mum sent some to Lysander and I. Mine went missing last night. I'll bet someone figured out a way to get it into your hair."

"So you stole someone's juice and put it in my shampoo?" Rose accused, turning back to Hugo.

"Aaarrrgggh! I didn't do it!" Hugo exclaimed in frustration. "Listen to reason, Rose. How would I put anything into your shampoo? Blokes can't get into the girls dorms, remember?"

"Actually, they can," James piped up suddenly. "You just have to fly a broom up alongside the tower and climb in through a window."

"You're not helping, James!" Hugo snapped. After a brief pause, Hugo turned to look at his older cousin. "Although that's really fascinating information and I'll have to remember that." James smirked.

"It wouldn't be your shampoo anyway," Lorcan interrupted. "In order to make your hair float, it would have had to dry on your hair. It would be in something that you didn't rinse out."

"My hair potion," Rose groaned, finally losing steam and dropping heavily into a seat. It was then that Al and Scorpius, having managed to drag themselves down to breakfast, joined the table. Al, once again in his usual morning stupor, simply nodded at Rose and reached for the coffee pot. Scorpius, however, gave his girlfriend an amused and puzzled look.

"Um, did you try something new with your hair, Rosie?" he asked softly, trying not to laugh. "It's cute - different though." Rose glared at him as he reached up to wrap one of her hovering curls around his finger and tugged gently.

"Someone decided to spike my hair potion with dirigible plum juice," she grumbled. "I assumed it was Hugo, in retaliation for the Melodic Mints, but the git obviously didn't know anything about it."

"You really shouldn't have any trouble getting rid of it," Lorcan explained. "You just have to wash your hair again and it'll come right out. I'd skip the hair potion this time though." Rose sighed.

"I suppose I'll go have another shower then. Then I'll owl-order some more hair potion. I was meaning to place an order at the apothecary anyway," she said, blushing slightly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Scorpius offered. He was immediately greeted with a somewhat shocked and amused look from Rose and two very angry scowls from Hugo and Al. "I didn't mean -!" he protested, putting a hand over his eyes and shaking his head. "I was asking if you wanted me to walk you back to the common room. I wasn't planning on trying to get into the shower with you."

Rose smirked as the boys continued to glare. James laughed out loud. Scorpius attempted to ignore the lot of them while he loaded food onto his plate.

"Maybe another time," Rose whispered with a wink as she stood up from the table to return to her dorm. Scorpius watched her walk away until a scone was chucked at his head by an irritated Hugo Weasley.

"Oi! Stop ogling my sister," he demanded. Scorpius turned around, smirking and rubbing his head where the scone had hit him.

"So you seriously had nothing to do with that?" Scorpius asked the younger boy before digging in to his breakfast. Hugo snorted.

"You think if I came up with something that good that I wouldn't take credit for it?" Scorpius considered this. It was true that although many of the Weasleys and Potters were notorious for pulling pranks on each other and others alike, they nearly always confessed to their schemes. There was an element of pride in having pulled the best pranks. The only one who remained anonymous in these matters was Rose. The prank itself had been harmless enough, but Scorpius couldn't help feeling unsettled. It seemed as if someone was trying to get Rose at her own game.


	15. Rose's Bad Day

Rose hurried through her second shower and dashed off her owl order as quickly as she could. Nevertheless, she was nearly late to her potions class, sliding breathlessly into her seat next to Scorpius just as Professor Cornfoot began lecturing on the week's lesson.

"If either of you says anything about my hair," she huffed irritably, "I'll make you wish you'd never worked out how to string words together into sentences." Al only snorted at her threat, taking in the unruly mass of ginger frizz with a smirk before turning around. Scorpius gave his girlfriend a sympathetic look before taking her hand under the table and pressing the extra scone he'd nicked at breakfast into her palm. Her irritation melted away as she looked at him with gratitude and then began surreptitiously breaking off small sections of the bread and sneaking them into her mouth as she listened to the professor speak.

It was deeply unfortunate, however, that she was still finishing the last of her breakfast ten minutes later as she assembled her assigned brew. A simpler potion might not have been affected at all by the errant crumb that slipped from her fingertips into her cauldron, but at the sixth year level, potions are highly volatile combinations of delicate ingredients and liable to react badly at the slightest provocation. The explosion was intense enough to knock both her and Scorpius from their chairs and cover everyone within a six-foot radius with sticky yellow goo. The chaos that ensued was barely registered by Rose herself, who simply sat on the floor in shock until someone lifted her gently to her feet.

"Will everyone return to their seats and quiet down, please," Professor Cornfoot was commanding over the noise. "Those of you who have been exposed to the potion may make your way to the hospital wing to be examined and treated, if necessary. Everyone else, continue with your assignment as we still have ample class time remaining."

The professor then proceeded to Rose and Scorpius' table to examine the remnants of the ruined potion. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he turned to Rose. "You are an exemplary student Ms. Weasley," he spoke softly. "Which is why I should think that you of all people would know better than to eat in my class. Twenty-five points from Gryffindor for your carelessness. That and your time in the hospital wing ought to ensure that you do not let your hunger overwhelm your common sense again."

Rose nodded mechanically and remained silent as Scorpius and Al steered her from the classroom and up the stairs toward the hospital wing.

The fact that she was among the last to arrive combined with the extensiveness of her exposure to the half-brewed potion meant that it was lunchtime before the matron pronounced Rose fit to return to classes. Although she had very little appetite despite her small and hurried breakfast, she sat with her friends and nibbled listlessly at a Cornish pasty.

"I think I did alright, even though I missed half the class," Al was musing. "It was a pretty straightforward review quiz, nothing too difficult. I definitely didn't write as much on the essay questions as some other people, but I think I covered the important stuff."

"There's no way I passed it," Scorpius replied. "I walked in about ten minutes before class was over and Professor Douglas just told me to do what I could. I got all the short answer questions but I was about two sentences in to the first essay question when class ended."

"What are you two on about?" Rose finally interjected, her curiosity and confusion getting the better of her desire to simply mope in silence.

"There was a review quiz in Charms today," Scorpius explained gently, knowing how this information was likely to be received by his girlfriend. "It's not likely to be worth much of the final grade, though. I wouldn't worry about having missed it."

Rose simply dropped her pasty and covered her face in her hands. Someone else may have been able to shrug off such an occurrence, but Rose was a driven student. Two zeros in one morning without so much as proper illness to chalk it up to was enough to make her want to scream. She bit back her frustration, however, and grabbed her bag from under the table before excusing herself to go to the library.

Over the next few hours, Rose managed to knock half a shelf's worth of books onto the floor, get her foot stuck in a trick step, rip her bag (spilling all of her books and supplies down a flight of stairs), and run straight into Peeves' latest snare. Sensing her mood, her friends and family gave her a wide berth, making light conversation and allowing her to keep to herself for the most part.

She was on her way back to the common room after her last class when she made a detour to a girls' toilet. Alone in the lavatory, she sighed with relief that the day was nearly over and she would soon be able to curl up in her bed and forget all about her troubles. Just as this thought had entered her mind, the door creaked open and two female voices could be heard as they entered the room.

"Did you see Weasley this morning?" asked a snooty, scathing whine. Her companion sniggered derisively before responding.

"Did you seriously just ask that? Weasley? Like there aren't four hundred of those ginger freaks running around this place? Which one?"

"Which one do you think? Little Miss Perfect, of course. Someone managed to make her look quite the fool this morning. Then I heard she blew up her potion and sent half the class to the hospital wing. Serves the girl right, I say. She's been up on her pedestal long enough."

"Absolutely, I hate how everyone just worships her because of who her parents are. What I really can't figure out is how she and Scorpius Malfoy are dating and everyone's just okay with it. I mean, I know he's a Gryffindor and all, but that really doesn't change the fact that his family were bloody death-eaters and her parents are war heroes."

Given her current state of mind, Rose was deeply tempted to come out with her wand raised and curses flying. She restrained herself, however, and opened the door silently instead, stepping into view before speaking in a deadly calm voice.

"They're okay with it because my family know that what a person does is more important than who they're related to. As for the two of you, I think 10 points from Slytherin for being prejudice, gossipy cows ought to suffice."

The girls stood, gobsmacked, while Rose silently walked to the sink at the end of the row, washed her hands, and left in silence.

Scorpius was lounging in the common room, procrastinating on his homework and worrying about his girlfriend, when Albus dropped into the seat next to him.

"Hey, Mate, can I borrow a couple of galleons? I need to get Alice a birthday present and I've spent all of my pocket money already."

"Why'd you spend all your money?"

"Well, I didn't know I was going to have a girlfriend to buy a birthday gift for before Easter, now did I?

Scorpius laughed. "Sorry, Mate, I'm skint. You should ask Rose, though. She's got money to loan."

Rose entered the common room just in time to overhear the end of their conversation and by the expression on her face, Scorpius was immediately aware that he'd said the wrong thing. As she dropped her bag and turned to exit the portrait hole, Scorpius hauled himself up off the couch to follow after her.

"Bollocks," he muttered to himself. He couldn't quite piece together what he'd said to piss her off but he knew perfectly well that she'd had a lousy day and was in a serious strop. Although she'd been mad at him before, this would be their first argument since they'd begun dating and he had a feeling things would be a bit different.

"You inconsiderate, stupid, loud-mouthed PILLOCK!" Rose squealed as he stepped into the hallway. "You promised you wouldn't say anything and the very next day you're blabbing to Albus. How could you betray me like that?"

"Whoa, WHOA!" Scorpius held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I didn't say anything to Al."

"I just heard you!" Rose was nearly hysterical. The stress of the day had gotten to her and her normal level-headedness had all but ceased to exist.

"He asked me if he could borrow money and I told him I didn't have any but you did. I didn't say a word about how much or where you got it." If Scorpius had been thinking clearly, he'd have stopped talking at that moment. Unfortunately, Rose was not the only one who was feeling the strain of the day's events.

"Not that it would even matter," he continued unwisely. "I don't see what the big damn deal is about your uncle giving you a commission. Even if your dear Mummy would disapprove, do you honestly think Al is going to tell her?"

Rose's eyes widened with shock and indignation. "Is that what you think of me? That everything I do is just to make my mother happy?"

"No! I'm just saying that you're making a big deal out of nothing and you should just calm down!"

"Don't you tell me to calm down Scorpius Malfoy!"

"Oh, we're using full names, now are we? Well, Rose WEASLEY, It's not my damn fault you've had a crap day so stop yelling at me!"

"Actually, it is your fault, since you're the one that brought me the damn scone that blew up my potion and made me miss Charms!"

Scorpius was actually shocked speechless for a moment. He stood, staring at the furious redhead, before shaking his head sadly.

"Way to be mature, Rose," he muttered before turning away from her and climbing through the portrait hole.


	16. Implications

Rose woke early the following morning to a tapping on the window. The soreness and puffiness around her eyes and the dampness of her pillow reminded her that she'd cried herself to sleep last night. She cringed as the memories of why she'd cried herself to sleep came flooding back. Tossing the covers back with a groan, she climbed out of bed and slid the window open to let the small black owl into the room.

"Hi, Sirius," she whispered, patting the owl's head gently before untying the scroll from his leg. She grabbed a couple of owl treats from a jar on her bedside table and held them out. The owl plucked them from her palm gratefully before spreading his wings and taking off into the pale dawn light.

Dropping heavily back onto her bed, Rose opened the scroll somewhat hesitantly and began to read.

_Dear Rose,_

_I hate rowing with you. I'm sorry for everything I said last night. I know you had a bad day and I shouldn't have been so insensitive. I promise you I didn't say anything to Al and I wouldn't. Please come down and talk to me. I'm in the common room._

_Love, Scorpius_

Rose smiled to herself as she tucked the letter under her pillow and pulled on a well-worn pair of jeans to go with the vest top she'd slept in. Tiptoeing from the dorm and down the stairs, she found a haggard-looking Scorpius pacing in front of the fire. He stopped when she emerged from the stairway, looking at her with an expression of mingled fear and hope. She smiled softly and he seemed to melt with relief. Crossing the room in several long strides, he pulled her into his arms with a fierce hug that caused her to squeak with surprise.

"Sorry! I'm sorry," he exclaimed, jumping back slightly. Rose laughed.

"It's fine, I'm fine," she reassured him. "You just surprised me, that's all. I owe you an apology as well. I'm sorry for being such an unpleasant cow last night. I was so terribly stressed out and I was out of my head. I didn't mean to take it out on you and it really, definitely wasn't your fault. You were only being sweet and thoughtful and I had no business blaming you for my own stupidity."

"Rose Weasley, stupid? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life."

Rose laughed. "I may be clever, but I do - and say - stupid things just as often as the next person. Now tell me honestly, do you really think I'm overreacting about my uncle giving me money?"

Scorpius wore a pained expression, obviously choosing his words carefully.

"Truthfully, yes, BUT" he held up a finger to ward off her initial response. "I know it makes you uncomfortable and I would never betray your trust like that. If it matters to you, I'll respect that, even if I don't necessarily agree."

Rose felt her heart swell at his words and pulled him into a passionate kiss in response. He wrapped his arms around her once more and leaned forward slightly, pressing her back against the wall. Rose moaned softly as his weight pressed against her, her hands sliding up his arms and over his shoulders, pulling him tighter against her body as they kissed.

"Merlin's balls!" a familiar, disgruntled voice exclaimed. "I do NOT want to have to see that in the morning. You two are as bad as Mum and Dad!"

Rose pulled away and looked her brother, wide-eyed and clearly affronted. "We are not!"

"Oh yeah?" Hugo retorted. "Last night you're shouting at each other in the hallway and now I come down to find you snogging up against a wall. Please feel free to explain how that is not exactly like Mum and Dad."

Rose sputtered indignantly but Scorpius looked confused. "Your parents snog against the wall?"

Rose groaned. "Yes, it's disgusting. They tend to refrain when there's company in the house though. Now you know why I always wanted you to come around for the hols."

"Here I was thinking that you just couldn't stand to be away from me for a whole two weeks," Scorpius replied with a wicked smirk. Rose shoved him playfully before turning back to her brother.

"It's different because Mum and Dad have their own room to go snog in so it's ridiculous for them to be all over each other in the common areas of the house. We, on the other hand, have no such place to be alone and if we did, I assure you we would not be out here where you could find us." Rose broke off as an angry and disgusted expression spread across her brother's face and the implication of her words sunk in. Mortified, Rose clapped a hand over her mouth and looked up at Scorpius, who looked back with surprise and embarrassment.

"See? There I go saying stupid things again!" Rose turned and began ascending the staircase to the girls' dorms. "I am going to go and take a shower now! Hugo, you are not allowed to harm by boyfriend!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Scorpius objected, moving as if to go after her. However, the moment his feet made contact with the stairs, an earsplitting alarm sounded and the stairs melted away, causing both Rose and Scorpius to slide back down into a heap on the floor of the common room.

"Aaagh! Now look what you've done!" Rose squealed, giggling and trying to regain her footing only to be pulled down again by the blonde boy on the floor.

"You deserve it for implying I've done something that I haven't done and then trying to leave me at the mercy of your relatives."

"Oh, c'mon, Hugo's just an ickle fourth-year. How much damage can he do?" Rose teased.

At that moment, students from both dorms began flooding into the common room. James, upon reaching the bottom of the stairs and observing the couple on the floor and the slide from the girls' rooms, shook his head and chuckled.

"I thought I told you, Mate, fly a broom up by the tower and climb in the window," he advised. "It's much more effective and doesn't draw so much attention."

"Oi! That's my sister!" Hugo objected.

"She's my cousin," James replied. "But she's of age and if she wants to get some, that's her business. Grow up, Hugh."

Several people snorted with laughter while most of the first and second years and a handful of the older students looked scandalized. Rose, blushing violently, picked herself up off the floor and looked wistfully up the slide to her dormitory.

"Well, I guess I'm going to breakfast like this," she lamented. "Hopefully the stairs will come back before too long. I don't need another morning like yesterday."

Fortunately, Rose's streak of bad luck seemed to have run out. Her spirits were further lifted by the arrival of a package at breakfast, which she attempted to tuck away into her bag without drawing attention to it. She was not entirely successful.

"Aren't you going to open that?" Scorpius asked curiously.

"It's just my owl order from the apothecary," she replied. "I needed a new bottle of hair potion, remember?"

"That seems a large package for one bottle," Al observed, sipping his coffee.

"I also needed some potions ingredients, nosey," Rose retorted. Al raised his eyebrows at her defensiveness but quickly shrugged and returned his attention to his breakfast.

"So, Rose, don't hex me, but can I borrow a couple of galleons?" Al asked several minutes later.

"What happened to your own money?" Rose asked. Scorpius smirked.

"I've run through it already and I need to get a birthday present for Alice before we go home for Easter hols. I'll pay you back when we get home."

Rose sighed. "It'd better be a fantastic gift," she warned, handing over a few coins. "If I find out you got her something crap, I'll tell your mother." Al looked at her in horror for a second before grinning in thanks.

"You're the best cousin ever, Rosie. I won't let you down."

Rose rolled her eyes and finished her bacon. As she was getting up from the table, Scorpius grabbed her hand and pulled her close, kissing her softly before whispering in her ear.

"By the way, Rose, Happy Valentine's Day."


	17. Confessions

Rose had just walked out of her arithmancy class when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into an alcove. She turned around to find Scorpius smiling at her as he held her close.

"Hello beautiful," he whispered with a smirk before leaning in to kiss her softly. Rose giggled.

"Not that I'm not pleased to see you, but what are you doing here?" she asked.

"It's Valentine's Day, classes are over, and I want to spend the evening snogging my girlfriend," he replied with a grin.

"Well, that sounds fantastic," Rose replied, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"But -?" Scorpius supplied, catching on to her train of thought.

"I just have a couple of things that I really need to do first," Rose sputtered quickly. "Just give me an hour. I'll meet you at dinner and then we'll spend the rest of the evening together, just us. Okay?"

Scorpius smiled through his disappointment. "Alright, I'll see you at dinner." He kissed her once more before releasing his arms from around her and letting her slip back into the crowded hallway.

Rose's first stop was the greenhouses. She wasn't sure which greenhouse she needed, however, so she began with the first and worked her way up. She found the person she was looking for in greenhouse three.

"Hello, Professor," she called as she entered, startling Neville from his work.

"Hello, Rose," he answered, waving her in. "What can I help you with this evening?"

"Well, I have a confession to make," she breathed, sitting down on one of the benches near the front of the greenhouse. Neville looked up at her in alarm.

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

"What? Merlin, no!" Rose sputtered, looking at her pseudo-uncle turned teacher in shock. "Are you joking? Besides, no offense, but you're one of the last people I would come to with a problem like that. That's much more Aunt Ginny's territory."

Neville grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Rose. I suppose I'm a bit on edge lately. It's not easy for a father to see his little girl grow up and start acting like a woman. I'm getting paranoid."

"Aww, Neville, Al's a good guy. You know that."

"Yes, I do. If anything, that makes it more difficult," he sighed. "I can't just scare him off and be done with it." Rose grinned. "So, what does bring you out here to see me, Rosie?"

Rose took a deep breath. "I've abused my prefect's authority, professor." Neville looked at her in confusion and she hurried to explain.

"I had a really terrible, awful day yesterday and I was in the loo when these two girls walked in and I could overhear them gossiping and being rude and insulting about Scorpius and myself, and even the entire family in general. I know that gossiping is not a punishable offense, but I was just so very angry and I walked out and I took ten points from Slytherin."

Neville began to laugh. Rose stared at him, unsure whether she ought to be relieved or offended.

"Did your dad ever tell you the story about your mum slapping Draco Malfoy across the face?" Neville asked when his laughter had subsided. Rose's eyes widened in shock.

"No!" she breathed, disbelieving.

"Oh yes. I didn't witness it myself, but the way your dad and Harry tell it, it was a brilliant thing to see." He chuckled. "The point is, Rose, all of us lose our tempers from time to time. The fact that your anger getting the better of you caused you to deduct points, of all things -" Neville chuckled again. "Well, let's just say it would be a bit hypocritical of me to punish you for that. I'll put the ten points back and we'll leave it at that, shall we?"

Rose smiled in relief and nodded gratefully. Gathering her things, she bid farewell to Neville and exited the greenhouse. Upon reaching the entrance to the castle, however, she stopped and pondered where she ought to carry out her other task. It wasn't as if she could simply ask Professor Cornfoot to let her use the potions classroom. The brew she was planning to make was certainly not forbidden, but it would lead to awkward questions. She also wasn't comfortable working on it in her dorm, as there was the chance that one of the other girls would recognize the ingredients. She needed to go somewhere that no one else was likely to disturb her. Suddenly, a story from her parents' childhood came back to her, providing inspiration. She slipped into the school and headed for the second floor.

At dinnertime, as promised, Rose slid into the seat next to Scorpius, smiling brightly. He greeted her with a kiss and slid his hand into hers under the table.

"Where's Al?" she enquired after a moment. Scorpius gestured toward the Hufflepuff table where Al could be seen sitting very cozily with his new girlfriend. Rose glanced reflexively up to the staff table where she observed Neville looking so intently at the professor with whom he was conversing that she was sure he was avoiding looking down at the students. Rose sighed. "Poor Neville," she thought.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she remembered the conversation with the professor. "Did you know that my mum once smacked your father in the face?" Scorpius looked gobsmacked for a moment before shaking his head sadly.

"That's a shame," he sighed, taking a bite of his steak and kidney pie before continuing. "Maybe if she'd done it more than once, she could have cured him of being such an arse."

Rose snorted with laughter. "I'll have to tell her you said that," she chuckled. "She'll love that. That is, if she's not completely mortified that Neville told me the story in the first place."

Scorpius grinned before tucking back into his dinner. When they had both finished eating, they walked out of the great hall hand-in-hand and headed up the stairs. When Rose turned toward Gryffindor tower and Scorpius tried to walk in the opposite direction, however, they both stopped.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked, slightly confused.

"Just us, remember?" Scorpius teased. "I thought we'd go up to the astronomy tower for a bit. There won't be any classes up there for at least a few more hours. We should have it all to ourselves."

Rose froze. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea." Scorpius looked at her with concern and a little hurt in his eyes.

"Why? What's the matter, Rose? I mean, do you not trust me all of a sudden?"

"It's not you, it's me," she replied hastily. Scorpius' expression darkened and Rose clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. "No, that's not what I meant at all," she hurried to explain. Sighing and taking both his hands in hers, she pulled him to the side of the hall and sat down on a bench, pulling Scorpius down with her.

"Scorpius, I don't trust myself right now," she spoke softly. "The other night, I was –" she struggled to find the right word, "overwhelmed." Scorpius smirked slightly as Rose blushed.

"I'd noticed," he answered. "I thought I'd quite like to overwhelm you again, if you didn't mind."

If possible, Rose turned an even deeper shade of red. "Yes, but I don't think you understand. I'd have done anything in that moment. Anything at all without even thinking about it and –"

"I would never let that happen," Scorpius interrupted. "I drew the line Saturday night and I will draw it again if I have to. We agreed not to rush into things and I'm sticking to that."

"I don't know whether to be grateful for your chivalry or put out that I don't seem to make you lose your senses the way you do to me," Rose replied with a small smile. Scorpius looked at her with a shocked expression.

"You're joking, right?" he asked. She stared at him blankly. "You're not joking. You have no idea what you do to me. Merlin, Rose, don't you realize you make me crazy? Remember the quidditch conversation on New Year's Eve?" Rose suddenly grinned at the memory. "But the idea that you might regret anything we did together-" Scorpius broke off, shaking his head. "I couldn't live with that. I won't risk it, not for anything."

Rose looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity there and feeling herself relax. There was no doubt in her mind that she could trust him. After glancing around to make sure they were still alone, she stood up and held out her hand.

"Okay then," she acquiesced. "Astronomy tower it is."


	18. Awkwardness

When James Potter wandered into the Gryffindor common room the next morning, he was surprised to find his brother already awake. As it was common knowledge that Albus was not a morning person, the fact that he was up and doing homework well before breakfast time was cause for James' astonishment in itself. But the fact that the homework in front of him lay mostly ignored while Al kept staring into the fire with a very goofy smile on his face brought James to a standstill.

"What are you doing up so early?" He asked suspiciously. Albus started, obviously not having noticed his brother's presence before he spoke.

"I could ask you the same thing," Al replied, somewhat defensively. James smirked.

"I thought I'd go out for a fly," he explained, holding up the broom he carried. "But you're never awake before breakfast, much less doing homework. Not that it looks like you're getting anything done."

Al's sputtered attempts at a response were cut off as another boy appeared from the staircase. Fully dressed and grinning cheerfully, Scorpius dropped into the seat across from Al and propped his feet upon a nearby ottoman.

"Good morning," he quipped, plucking a quidditch magazine from the seat next to him and flipping through it idly. James smirked and shook his head. Al only stared.

"You two are way too happy. If I didn't know better, I'd think you both got laid last night."

Al and Scorpius looked up sharply at James' comment, then turned to face each other with shocked expressions. James laughed as he shouldered his broom and exited the common room.

"You didn't…?" Al trailed off, unable to voice the question aloud. Scorpius shook his head adamantly.

"No, of course not. You?"

Al shook his head as well, but he kept his gaze downward, not meeting Scorpius' eyes. The blonde observed his best mate shrewdly for several moments before speaking.

"I don't remember seeing you when I came in last night. Did you sleep at all?"

Al blushed and continued to avoid Scorpius' gaze. Dropping the magazine, Scorpius put his feet down and leaned forward, curiosity and amusement all over his face.

"Albus, what DID you do last night?"

"Ssshhh!" Al hissed, looking around at the empty common room. "Fine, I was out all night. Alice and I were down at the Quidditch pitch. We only meant to have a little time alone, but we ended up talking and lost track of time. I didn't realize how late it was until we started back in and I noticed that the house elves had already finished with the cleaning."

Scorpius smirked gleefully at his friend. Albus finally looked him in the eye and, noticing his expression, turned the tables.

"Alright then, where were you last night?" he demanded. "You and Rosie disappeared pretty quickly after dinner. What have you been up to with my cousin?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Scorpius replied cheekily, wiggling his eyebrows. Al's expression darkened, causing Scorpius to laugh. "Same as you and Alice, probably, except we went up the astronomy tower and had to leave before the third years started showing up for class."

Al relaxed, leaning back into the chair and letting out a sigh, which quickly turned into a yawn. Scorpius chuckled, putting his feet up again. He was about to pick up his magazine when something soft and rather heavy fell into his lap. He looked up to find Rose beaming down at him. He grinned and kissed her, pulling her close and breathing in her scent while he did so. This brought back memories of the prior evening and he had to keep himself from groaning in pleasure. Rose, sensing his reaction, laughed softly as she pulled away.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" she whispered. Scorpius only raised an eyebrow, causing her to laugh again.

"Ewww," Al groaned. "Alice and I aren't this disgusting, are we?"

"Yes," the couple responded in unison. Rose laughed once more as she jumped to her feet and pulled her bag from the floor to sling it over her shoulder.

"I'll see you boys at breakfast," she said as she headed for the portrait hole. Scorpius and Al looked at her in confusion.

"Where on earth can you be going at this hour?" her cousin asked. "Breakfast doesn't even start for another 20 minutes!"

Rose raised an eyebrow as she turned back. "I'm surprised you know when breakfast starts, Al. You typically don't even wake up until it's halfway over. Why are you up so early?"

Al's face reddened once more as he turned back to his book and muttered grumpily. Scorpius was too busy snickering at his friends' discomfort to notice Rose slipping through the portrait hole and it was several minutes later before he realized how expertly she'd managed to evade Albus' question.

The moment Rose ducked into the second floor girls' bathroom she knew something had gone wrong. As she stared at the greenish mass of congealed goop in her spare cauldron, covering her nose against the stench, disbelief and fury flowed through her veins. This was no mistake. Not only had she been exceptionally careful in her brewing, despite the fact that it was by no means a complicated draught, but there was no possible way that the ingredients she'd used could have produced such a vile mess. Something had been added since she'd left the day before. Someone had deliberately sabotaged her potion.

She'd have screamed if she could force enough air into her lungs for the task, but instead, she pulled her wand and vanished the disgusting concoction before grabbing the cauldron and stomping back to her dorm.

Fortunately, Al and Scorpius had left the common room before she returned, so she was able to slip upstairs unquestioned. Silently setting up her cauldron in the space between her bed and her dormmate's nightstand, she assembled her ingredients and began to start a fresh batch of potion. She was intent enough on the task that she failed to notice her dormmate emerging from the bathroom until she'd flopped down on the adjacent bed.

"Hello Rose, how are things going?" Violet Finnigan glanced at the cauldron and the assembled ingredients before smirking at Rose. "That good, eh?"

Rose bit her lip as her face reddened. This had been exactly what she was afraid of, but there was no avoiding it now. While she and Violet were on good terms, their parents having been classmates before them, they were not what Rose would consider close and Violet had a predilection for gossip.

"Not that it's any of your business," Rose replied evenly, "but this is merely precautionary."

"That's smart," Violet commented. "If I'd have been that smart, I might've saved myself a trip to St. Mungo's last summer," she continued softly. Rose looked up in surprise.

"I never knew," she whispered.

"Well it's not the kind of thing that you talk about, is it?" Violet replied. "Don't worry, I may be a gossip, but even I know that there are some things that no one else needs to know. I'm not going to tell anyone."

Rose nodded in thanks, watching Violet for a moment before turning to add the final ingredient. She put away her potions kit, extinguished the flame, and covered her cauldron to allow it to brew for the next twelve hours.

Scorpius could tell Rose was preoccupied when she joined them for breakfast, but he knew better than to confront her in such a public setting. As they walked toward their first class of the day, he pulled her close and leaned to whisper in her ear.

"Are you alright? You seem upset about something."

Rose frowned thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "No, not upset. Well, a little, but… well, it's been a strange morning. That's all."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Scorpius asked. To his surprise and confusion, Rose blushed brilliantly and shook her head.

"No! Well, yes, but not now. Maybe… just, well, not yet," she stuttered. Scorpius raised an eyebrow but said nothing, taking her hand in his and continuing on to class.


	19. Magical Draughts

Al was snoring. There was nothing particularly exceptional about this in and of itself, as Al almost always snored while he was sleeping. Unfortunately, Al was not in his bed at the moment and it was definitely not nighttime.

"Al!" Rose hissed, nudging her cousin. "Albus!"

The boy stirred slightly but did not awaken.

"Albus Severus!" she tried again, shoving him much harder this time. Hard enough, in fact, to dislodge him from his position and send him sprawling to the earthen floor of the greenhouse in which they were currently working. Scorpius snorted with laughter and Rose merely rolled her eyes as Al jumped to his feet, dusting himself off and attempting to look innocent.

"Problem, Potter?" Professor Longbottom asked from where he was overseeing another group's progress.

"No, Sir, sorry, Sir. There's no problem at all, Sir. Everything's fine, Sir." Albus stuttered, attempting to smile.

"That was about three too many sirs to be entirely convincing, Al," Rose muttered under her breath.

"He's got a guilty conscience," Scorpius explained softly, still chuckling. "He doesn't want to have to explain to this particular Professor why he didn't get any sleep last night."

"Shut up," Al grumbled, rubbing his eyes and attempting to focus on the plant in front of him.

Later, as they sat down to lunch in the Great Hall, Alice casually slipped into a seat beside Al, grasping one of his hands and smiling brightly.

"Sleepy, Al?" she asked sweetly, a hint of amusement in her expression. Al narrowed his eyes as he looked at her cheerful, alert face.

"How are you not?" he asked. That was when he felt her push some kind of small, hard object into his hand.

"Wideye potion," she whispered into his ear. "I'd have given it to you earlier, but I slept through breakfast. Just take half of it to get you through the rest of today." Al slowly moved his hand back into his own lap and looked down at the small bottle he was holding. Carefully removing the stopper, he brought the bottle, still concealed in his hand, to his lips and sipped a small amount of the liquid within. The effect was immediate. His head cleared and the heaviness in his eyes and limbs vanished. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Better?" the blond girl giggled.

"So much better," he replied, replacing the stopper and slipping the bottle into his pocket before sliding his arms around Alice and squeezing her. "You are brilliant, you know that? Bloody brilliant." With that, he kissed her soundly, not caring that they were in the middle of the Great Hall and in full view of every student and professor at Hogwarts.

"Hypocrite," muttered Scorpius as he piled food on his plate. Rose grinned wickedly before pulling Scorpius' face toward hers and treating him to the same attention that Al was showing his girlfriend. Several people around them whistled.

"Alright, who spiked the pumpkin juice at this table and where can I get some?" James demanded, dropping into the seat next to Rose. The two couples separated, laughing, and resumed filling their plates.

"It's the Weasley blood, James, you know that," Rose laughed. "We just can't help ourselves."

"Touché," James replied, shooting a grin at Scorpius.

"Well, I should probably rejoin my house," Alice said, standing up from the table, much to Al's obvious disappointment. "I wouldn't want anyone to think I've defected. Bye, Al."

"See you later," he replied, not taking his eyes off her as she walked away. When he finally turned around, it was to see his older brother mocking him with kissy noises and exaggerated facial expressions. Reflexively, Al grabbed a dinner roll from his plate and chucked it at James, hitting him squarely on the forehead. James only laughed, picked up the roll, and began to eat it.

"You're just jealous because you can't get a pretty girl to snog you," Al taunted. James continued to laugh.

"Shows how much you know, little brother," he replied smugly, digging into his dinner.

"One-offs don't count," Al retorted. "You haven't had an actual girlfriend in months."

"Who says I haven't?" James answered. At this, both Rose and Al stopped eating and stared at him. James appeared not to notice, continuing to focus on his food.

"Who?" Rose challenged.

"No one you know," James responded.

"Rubbish," Al said dismissively. "So Rosie, I need to figure out what to get for Alice for her birthday. Can you help me? Please?" Al fixed Rose with his best pathetic puppy-dog face. Rose only snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I already loaned you the money to buy her something, now you want me to pick it out too?" Rose laughed. "Is this gift from you or from me?"

"I don't need you to actually pick anything out, I just want help getting ideas," Al explained.

"Jewelry always works," James quipped.

"Says the guy with no girlfriend," Al replied scathingly. James only smirked.

"Al's right, jewelry is unoriginal and cliché," Rose explained. "It says 'I think you're pretty but I don't actually know you,' which is not the message that Al wants to send. You need to think about the things that she loves, Al. Figure out what she's passionate about and go from there."

"Well, she likes quidditch," Al mused. "There's nothing very romantic about quidditch stuff though. She's a plant nut, like her Dad. Maybe…" Al trailed off, obviously thinking to himself.

After dinner, the group returned to Gryffindor tower, where James joined his dormmates in a game of exploding snap while the other three settled into armchairs near the fire for an evening of revision and homework.

"Rose, where are you going?" Scorpius questioned as his girlfriend rose from her chair and, leaving her things behind, headed toward the stairs.

"I'll be right back," she answered. "I need a book that I left in my dorm."

Ascending the staircase to the sixth year girls' dorm, Rose hoped fervently that she'd find her potion undisturbed and ready to finish. Starting anything from scratch was frustrating, but brewing in secret just made the matter that much more stressful.

She was relieved, therefore, when she opened the door and found the room devoid of both occupants and any unpleasant smells. Closing the door behind her, she crossed the room and lifted the lid of her cauldron. Smiling at the smooth, silky concoction, she pulled her potions kit and a small, wooden box from beneath her bed. She carefully measured out the last two ingredients and stirred them into the cauldron. When the mixture turned the same shade of light blue as the book that contained its recipe, she opened the wooden box and pulled out one of the several small phials that it contained. She filled the phial with a measure of the potion, stoppered it, and replaced it in the box, repeating these steps until every phial was full.

Rose replaced the lid and pushed the box back underneath her bed. She then conjured a small glass, which she filled with the final dose of potion from the cauldron. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the potion before vanishing the glass and cleaning her cauldron. She then put away her potions kit and opened the trunk at the foot of her bed. Thumbing through the impressive collection of books it contained, she selected one that could plausibly be helpful for the herbology assignment she'd been working on downstairs.

As she reentered the common room, Rose caught Scorpius' eye and blushed at the familiar thrill of desire that shot through her. Then she smiled brilliantly, knowing that whenever she made the choice to indulge that desire, she was now protected from getting pregnant.


	20. Underwater

It was one of those deceptively sunny days in late winter that entice people out of doors with harbingers of spring only to force them to don jumpers and cloaks against the lingering cold. For this reason, Rose was wearing the thick, cobalt blue Weasley jumper she'd received for Christmas as she sat under a tree near the Black Lake, absorbed in revision.

She jumped in surprise as a pair of strong arms snaked around her waist from behind and gently squeezed her. Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of blond hair and grey eyes before she was distracted by someone's lips pressed firmly against her own. Giggling softly, she allowed herself to be leaned backward until she was lying in the grass under the tree. She dropped the book she'd been holding in favor of wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck as they snogged.

"Aren't you freezing?" she asked once they broke apart, noticing that he was clad in only a fitted t-shirt and trousers. She savored the view of his lean torso that the shirt allowed.

"Of course not, I'm naturally hot," Scorpius quipped.

"You cast a warming charm, didn't you?" Rose asked.

"Of course I cast a warming charm. Who wouldn't cast a warming charm on a day like this?"

"Is that a disparaging remark about my Weasley jumper?" Rose accused, making a face. "My grandmother made this for me and I like wearing it, despite how you think it looks."

"Well, that shows how much you know," Scorpius replied in a low voice. "Because I happen to think you look incredibly sexy in your Weasley jumper." He leaned down to kiss her again while sliding one hand beneath the aforementioned jumper and stroking her waist. Rose made a noise that was somewhere between a squeak and a sigh as Scorpius' weight pressed against her and he growled in response.

While kissing Scorpius, Rose allowed her hands to run up his arms, over his shoulders, and down his back, enjoying the firmness and the subtle muscular definition of his body. Scorpius responded by sliding his hand further under her jumper. Rose's eyes opened wide and she started to break away.

"Relax," Scorpius whispered. "No one can see."

Rose relented, giving in to the lure of an attractive boy under a clear blue sky. They lay together beneath the tree with its pale green foliage just beginning to emerge. Oblivious to the twittering of birdsong and the soft swishing noises of the lake, they were immersed only in each other.

That is, until they were suddenly underwater.

Rose was seized with panic as she bolted upright, coughing and sputtering. The icy water had receded as quickly as it appeared, but the couple was nevertheless left soaking wet and freezing cold on the bank. As soon as Rose could pull air into her lungs, she expelled it with a string of expletives that would have shocked her Uncle George.

"What the hell was that?!" she shrieked, having taken a few deep breaths and pushed her sodden hair from her face.

"I think we got hit by a wave," Scorpius replied, already having pulled out his wand and cast a drying spell on himself. "Here, let me dry you off."

"A wave, Scorpius?" Rose asked indignantly. "It's the Black Lake, not the ocean. It doesn't have waves!"

Gently turning Rose toward him, Scorpius waved his wand over her as he cast the nonverbal spell. Her hair, exposed skin, and jeans immediately dried but her jumper was still heavy with water.

"It's no good," she groaned. "The jumper's too thick and holds too much water to be dried that easily. I'll have to take it off." Scorpius bit back a smile as she pulled the garment over her head, revealing the thin top she wore underneath. The wet fabric clung enticingly to her curves, showing a great deal more than was normally visible. This, however, was definitely not the time.

Rose dropped the jumper to the ground before pulling her own wand from her back pocket and cast another drying spell on herself. Scorpius picked up the jumper and began wringing the excess water out of it by hand.

"Where's my book?" Rose asked with a hint of panic in her voice. "I was reading my Charms textbook before you came out here. Where did it go?" They both searched all around beneath the tree but it was obvious to both of them that it was not there.

"I think it got washed into the lake," Scorpius murmured, gently taking the fuming Rose into his arms. "You can order a new one from Flourish and Blotts and borrow mine until it gets here." Rose only groaned in frustration.

"A wave?" Al asked doubtfully at dinner as Rose and Scorpius related the incident. "I don't think the Black Lake makes waves."

"Obviously, Al" Rose sighed. "Someone had to have conjured it. It was probably their idea of a joke; 'Cooling us off' or some nonsense. There was no one around that we could see, but that doesn't mean there wasn't someone concealed somewhere nearby. Oh! If I ever find out who it was…" Rose trailed off, stabbing her roast with unwonted aggression.

Scorpius said nothing, merely rubbing Rose's back comfortingly with one hand while eating his dinner with the other. He refrained from speculating on the culprit as he worried that Rose was likely to lose her nut at some poor unsuspecting sod if she had so much as an inkling of a suspicion to go on. Something about the whole incident was bothering him, though, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Like trying to remember the name of someone who looks vaguely familiar without knowing why, the feeling was persistent and unbelievably frustrating.

Oblivious to the dark cloud of discontent that surrounded the angry redhead, Lily Potter dropped into the seat next to her cousin and plucked a chunk of roast potato from her brother's plate. Popping it into her mouth and chewing happily, she ignored Al's scowling and turned toward Rose.

"Have you seen James?" she inquired after swallowing the potato. "I've been looking for him since lunch and no one seems to know where he's gone off to."

Rose, shook her head, still glowering.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Lily asked, finally noticing Rose's mood. Scorpius provided a brief explanation, causing Lily to snort with laughter.

"It's not funny!" Rose exclaimed.

"It really is," Lily contested. "Oh, come on, the part about losing your book is lousy, but you have to admit that the rest is brilliant. You'd be laughing too if it had happened to someone else."

Rose narrowed her eyes at her younger cousin, who continued to smirk with mirth.

"Seriously, Rose. Picture it for a moment. Let's pretend that it happened to Al," Lily reasoned, ignoring Al's indignation at being made an example. "He and Alice are lying on the edge of the lake, being all lovey and snogging each other's faces off when all of a sudden the lake dumps a load of water on them and leaves them drenched and sputtering. You'd laugh, you know you would."

Rose tried to resist Lily's argument, but the vivid imagery she'd described was hard not to picture in her mind. When she saw it from that perspective, the idea of her cousin and his girlfriend doused in water, with their hair sticking to their faces and their clothes dripping wet, began to seem somewhat amusing. It wasn't until her mind took the scenario a step further, however, imagining the unmanly shriek that Al was likely to make upon being hit with freezing water, that she lost her composure completely. Her scowl cracked into a smile as the first snicker slipped out and soon she was completely overcome with laughter.

"I hate you, Lily," she said without conviction as she regained control of her breathing. Lily only beamed.

"No you don't, you love me," the younger girl corrected, stealing another potato from her brother before hopping up to move down the table where her classmates were grouped.

"Feeling better?" Scorpius murmured as Rose returned her attention to her plate. She rolled her eyes and nodded, still smirking.

"Lily knows me too well," she explained. "I'm still annoyed about my book though. Hopefully the new one gets here soon."

"You can always study with me in the meantime."

"Yeah, because we get so much done when you and I study together," Rose remarked sarcastically. "You, Mr. Malfoy, are entirely too distracting."

Scorpius only grinned.


	21. The Birthday Gift

It was during breakfast nearly a week later that Rose's new book arrived. She took the package eagerly from the owl and began unwrapping it immediately. She was forced to lean back quickly, however, as a second owl arrived with a rather large package and very nearly landed in the bacon.

"What is that?" she wondered aloud. The package was cylindrical, rather like a tall hat box, and wrapped in green paper. Al suddenly sat up straight, awoken from his usual morning stupor, and seized the box.

"Alice's birthday present," he said by way of explanation as he stood up with the package and hurried from the Great Hall.

Rose looked at Scorpius in surprise and confusion. He merely shrugged and popped the last of his toast into his mouth, chewing lazily. Rose put her new book into her bag, finished her breakfast, and headed off to class.

"You're spending the hols at Al's and coming to The Burrow for Easter, right?" Rose asked Scorpius as they walked hand-in-hand.

"Yeah," Scorpius replied, sounding somewhat morose. Rose stopped walking and stared at him.

"You're not happy about that? I thought you loved holidays at The Burrow!"

"Oh, I do," he explained. "It's just, well... I'm not going to be able to snog you much while we're there with all your family milling around, am I?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"At least well be together, you muppet," she replied. "Better than you being stuck at home with no one but your parents and a couple of house elves to keep you company."

"True," he conceded. "But just think if we both stayed at Hogwarts? Most of the students go home and half of the teachers too. This whole big castle, hardly anyone around, no classes to go to…just imagine the possibilities."

For a fraction of a second, Rose did in fact imagine the possibilities. Her eyes widened and her face flushed pink before she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"No, no, if I think about that, I'll never be able to concentrate on anything else all day," she muttered, causing Scorpius to chuckle. "Don't worry, though, I'm sure we can find a way to spend some time alone," she finished with a mischievous smile.

"Just as long as your Dad doesn't catch us and try to hex my bits off," Scorpius mumbled. This time it was Rose's turn to chuckle.

When they slid into their seats for the first lesson of the day, Al was already seated at their usual table, fidgeting. He was so obviously nervous that Rose couldn't resist taking the mickey.

"So, Al, where'd you run off to this morning?" she teased. "Had to give Alice her present right away?"

"Not yet," he answered.

"So what did you get her?" Al only shook his head in response. "Oh, come on, I paid for it. Don't I have a right to know?"

"Shut up, I'll pay you back next week," he replied. Rose wrinkled her nose at his reticence. It was no fun teasing someone who wouldn't play along.

Al, meanwhile, was just trying to keep his nerves under control well enough to get through class without making any major blunders. It was not as if Alice was his first girlfriend, or even the first girlfriend he'd ever bought a present for. Yet he knew in his gut that the way he felt about her was decidedly different than anything he'd experienced before. There was also the small matter of it being her seventeenth birthday, which was going to be memorable one way or another. He desperately hoped that his part in her coming of age would become a good memory.

Packing up his things after class, Al dashed into the hallway before Rose could heckle him any further. Slipping into an alcove, he pulled his invisibility cloak from his bag and threw it over himself and waited. When Alice filed past, he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, covering her with the cloak as well.

"Happy birthday," he murmured before kissing her softly. "Since we both have a free period before lunch, I thought I could give you your present now." Alice nodded, following as he led her toward the stairs.

When they reached the hallway where the fat lady's picture hung, Al ducked out from under the cloak after instructing Alice to stay invisible. He gave the password, climbed through the portrait hole, and lingered long enough to be sure that Alice had come through as well. He then led the way up to the dorm he shared with Scorpius and the other sixth year Gryffindor boys.

"Okay, you can take that off," he told her once he'd assured that they were quite alone. "I'm not really supposed to bring you into our common room, much less my dorm, but I didn't want to give you your present with a bunch of people watching." Alice pulled the cloak off, handing it back to Al and looking curiously around the room.

"This is nice," she observed. "A bit more grandeur than we have down in our rooms, but cozy, nonetheless." Al cleared his throat nervously and she turned to smile at him. He was standing next to his own bed, the curtains of which were now drawn open. On the bedspread sat the green-wrapped cylindrical box that he had whisked away so quickly at breakfast. Alice looked at it her eyes widened in anticipation and curiosity. She stepped forward as Al gestured to the box and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I really hope you like it," Al began to ramble. "I wasn't really sure what to…" Alice silenced him with a kiss before turning to the box and undoing the wrappings.

Alice gasped as she pulled the lid from the box and looked inside. Reaching in, she carefully lifted the object out. In her hands, she held a shallow ceramic dish that had been painted a cheery shade of yellow. Planted in the dish was a miniature cherry tree covered in delicate pink blossoms. The trunk, which could have been no more than two inches in diameter, was nevertheless twisted and gnarled as if the tree were many hundreds of years old. The tiny branches arched out and away from the trunk gracefully, each covered in perfect miniscule flowers. She stared at the plant in awe and wonder.

"It's a bonsai," Al explained. "It's this muggle thing. Well, it started out because Japanese wizards used to put shrinking charms on their trees and make them into pot plants and after a while muggles started to notice and try figure out how they did it. It takes years and years but they train little saplings into mature trees in miniature by pruning them just right. This one's been done the muggle way but it's got a few charms on it so that you can keep it in your dorm instead of outside. There's a little book in there too on how to take care of it."

"It's beautiful," Alice breathed. "Oh, Al, thank you!" She gazed at the plant for several more minutes, turning it around in her hands so that she could inspect it from every angle. Then she leaned forward to carefully set it down on Al's nightstand before throwing her arms around him and kissing him enthusiastically. Al fell backward onto his bed and rolled sideways, pulling her with him, before flicking his wand at his bed curtains, which promptly snapped closed.

_A/N: In case anyone is confused, a "pot plant" is what the Brits call a houseplant. It does not mean what it means in the states ;)_


	22. Blackmail

"Have you seen my brother?" Lily asked, leaning over Rose's shoulder to steal a chip from her plate.

"Which one?" Rose asked, swatting the younger girl's hand away.

"Either of them, now that you mention it," Lily mused. "Doesn't Al usually eat with you lot?"

"Generally, yes, but lately he's been eating over at the Hufflepuff table with Alice from time to time," Rose explained, craning her neck to look across the Great Hall. "I don't see him though…or her."

"Huh! I wonder where those two have got off to?"

"Well, you've hit the nail on the head, there, haven't you?" Scorpius snickered, causing both girls to turn and look at him. "It's obvious! Al was going to give Alice her birthday present during their free period. She's probably _thanking_ him." He wiggled his eyebrows to emphasize his point.

"Eeeewww," Lily groaned while Rose merely made a face. Scorpius only laughed.

"To answer your question, Lily," Rose continued. "I have not seen either of your brothers since this morning. I'm afraid to say that Scorpius is probably right about Al but I have no idea where… James!"

Rose nearly shouted as her older cousin dropped suddenly into the seat across from her, looking out of breath and excited about something.

"There you are, James! I have been looking…" Lily started to berate her brother.

"Not now, Lils," he interrupted. "Rose, look at this!" He shoved a ragged looking piece of parchment across the table that Rose immediately recognized as The Marauders' Map. She scanned the paper with her eyes. The Great Hall was so thick with dots that she was sure that whatever she was supposed to be looking at was not there. Glancing around to the other more sparsely populated rooms, she quickly realized what James was trying to show her.

"Oh Merlin," she breathed, her eyes widening. "That's definitely not allowed. You don't think they're…?" Rose trailed off, looking up at James, who was grinning evilly.

"I doubt it, but it looks bad, doesn't it?" James snickered. "How much blackmail do you think this will be worth?"

Scorpius looked over Rose's shoulder and smirked. "I told you so."

"What are you all on about?" Lily demanded impatiently. Without speaking, Rose simply sat up and pointed to the map, specifically the portion that showed the Gryffindor boys' sixth year dorm. Two dots, labeled "Albus Potter" and "Alice Longbottom" were its only occupants.

"Busted!" Lily squealed gleefully. "Oh, he's never going to hear the end of this!"

"Ssssh!" Rose chastised her cousin. She tapped the parchment with her wand and muttered, "mischief managed" before folding it and sliding it back across the table to James. "Let's just keep this between the four of us, shall we? I have no intention of reporting this and I'd rather not have it all over school either." The others nodded their acquiescence before James got up and left the Great Hall, Lily trailing after him.

"Lucky sod," Scorpius grumbled under his breath. Rose fixed him with a questioning look. "I'd love to have a couple of hours alone in the dorm with you," he explained. Rose blushed and laughed softly.

"Well, it's not exactly as though they've gotten away with it, is it?" Rose countered. "I'm not about to turn them in but you know James will hold this over Al's head forever, which is almost worse. Besides," she continued, scooting closer to him on the bench seat. "Who says you can't?"

Scorpius looked shocked for a moment before a slow smile spread across his face. "Shall we go and kick them out then?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and attempting to nuzzle her neck. Rose giggled softly and squirmed.

"No, because I'm still eating," she insisted, giving him a stern look. "Never, ever come between a Weasley and food. Then we have to go to class. Recreational activities will have to wait." Scorpius feigned pouting before turning back to his lunch, one arm still curved around his girlfriend's waist.

Several floors up, James was still trying to lose his sister.

"C'mon, just stop for a minute, will you?" she harassed him.

"I've got places to be, Lily," James shrugged, ducking into a hidden passageway. Lily followed.

"Yeah, you're always someplace, but no one ever knows where. Why all the sneaking around, James? What are you hiding?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," James retorted, turning to face the petite redhead.

"Sure you don't," Lily countered. "So how about this, you order me a box of fever fudge from Uncle George and I won't tell Mum and Dad how suspiciously you've been acting all term." James narrowed his eyes.

"Why don't you order it yourself?"

"Uncle George is under strict orders from Mum not to sell me any. She thinks I'm skipping too many classes," Lily sighed.

"You do skip too many classes, Lil," her brother countered.

"Yeah, but I get good marks anyway, don't I?" Lily replied. James snorted.

"Look, you're clever, but there's no way you'll pass your OWLs next year if you don't actually go to your classes. So no, I'm not helping you skive off. Tell Mum and Dad whatever you want." With that, James turned on his heel and left a fuming Lily standing alone in the concealed corridor.

Al could not remember ever having been happier than he was at that very moment. The pretty blonde girl in his arms had her fingers in his hair and her mouth pressed up against his as they lay together in his bed. They'd alternated between snogging and cuddling and talking for long enough that he was sure it was well into lunchtime. He wondered briefly if their absence would be noticed and then decided he didn't particularly care. Rolling onto his back so that Alice's body was draped across his own, he allowed his hands to wander a little more boldly that he had previously done. She giggled and moved her lips to his neck.

"We should probably sneak you out of here soon," he muttered without conviction. "We're eventually going to have to go to class."

"Must we?" Alice sighed playfully, burying her face against his shoulder.

"Yeah," Al sighed. "If neither of us shows up for Herbology this afternoon, your Dad is going to hunt me down and feed me to one of his great dirty plants." Alice laughed.

"That would certainly put a damper on my birthday," she chuckled. Al brightened. Rolling over once more, he proceeded to snog his girlfriend thoroughly, intending to make the most of the moment while it lasted.

"I love you."

It was spoken in a barely audible whisper between kisses, but the instant the words fell from his lips, Al knew he'd ruined the mood. Alice froze, her eyes wide with surprise and something akin to fear. Wincing, he sat up, dragging a hand through his hair and then running it over his face before taking both of her hands in his.

"Look, I'm sorry if I dropped that on you. I know it's not been very long yet and there's no pressure or anything. I just got caught in the moment a bit, I guess."

"I do care about you a lot, Al," whispered Alice. "I'm just not sure I'm quite there yet." Al nodded in understanding, pulling her into his arms and kissing her softly before he stood to find his invisibility cloak.


	23. Tattletale

Scorpius could tell that something was off. Albus had finally told them what he'd bought for Alice and that she'd been really pleased with it. He admitted that they'd spent the next two hours mostly snogging, although he conveniently failed to mention where they'd been. All in all, he was doing a passable imitation of his usual self, but as Al's best mate of nearly six years, Scorpius recognized the signs. He waited, however, until they'd made it all the way back to London and were settling in at Al's parents' place before he cornered his friend and forced him to drop the façade.

"Spill it, mate," Scorpius deadpanned, dropping onto the camp bed where he'd spent most of his holidays since he was twelve years old. "What really happened with Alice?"

For a moment, it appeared as if Al was going to deny that there was anything wrong. Then he seemed to deflate as he threw himself down onto his own bed and covered his face with both hands.

"I mucked it all up," he groaned through his palms. "I tried so hard to get it right. It was her seventeenth and I just wanted everything to be good so she'd have a good memory and all. It was going so well and then I just had to open my stupid mouth and ruin everything!" Al muttered a few swear words as he rubbed irritably at his forehead.

"Al, what did you say?" Scorpius asked, mildly alarmed.

"I told her I love her," he confessed.

"Woah."

"She didn't say it back."

"Ouch," Scorpius hissed.

"Yeah," was Al's reply. The two boys sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in his own thoughts.

"Listen, mate," Scorpius finally spoke up. "I reckon Alice probably does love you, or she will at least. She just doesn't know it yet. Everyone figures these things out in their own time. You Weasleys are a passionate bunch. You seem to fall faster and harder than most. Look at your parents, most of your aunts and uncles, even your grandparents; they've _all_ been together since Hogwarts! As Rose would put it, your family is a statistical anomaly. It's not a bad thing, but you've got to wait for other people to catch up sometimes. If you give her some time, she'll come around."

"Yeah, I know," Al sighed. "Still stings though."

"Yeah," Scorpius agreed, wondering how to help his friend take his mind off his troubles. "Do you want to get James and Lily and floo over to The Burrow to play some two-a-side quidditch?" Al grinned.

"Sure, mate," he replied. "Quidditch sounds good."

As it turned out, James was apparently too busy writing a letter to play quidditch. After sharing a very knowing look with his wife, Harry Potter agreed to stand in for James.

Harry had just followed the three teenagers out of the fire at The Burrow when Molly Weasley came bustling into the kitchen, worry and confusion etched across her brow.

"Harry? What are you all doing here? I wasn't expecting anyone until tomorrow. Is everything okay? Where's Ginny?"

"Calm down, Molly," Harry soothed, giving the older woman an affectionate squeeze. "Everything's fine. Ginny is at home. We just thought we'd come over and play quidditch in the orchard, if that's alright?" Molly visibly relaxed and smiled, feeling a bit silly as she noticed the brooms that they all carried.

"Of course, dear," she answered, shooing them out the back door. "You all go and have fun. I'll have some sandwiches ready when you come back in." The quartet grinned at each other, knowing it was useless to argue with Molly Weasley when it came to food.

It was a rousing game, despite being comprised of only four players. Scorpius was easily the least talented among them and more than one person had suggested that he consider playing the sport professionally. Middle age may have put Harry Potter at a considerable disadvantage, were it not for the Auror Office's rigorous fitness standards and the frequent Weasley family quidditch games that had forced him to keep in shape over the years. Al and Lily, who had both inherited uncommon natural talent from their parents and had begun playing the game at a very early age, were basically prodigies.

Al and Scorpius were the first team to score 300 points, putting an end to the contest in lieu of a snitch to catch. As the foursome returned to the ground, laughing and teasing each other, Molly Weasley appeared from the back door with a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Lily was the first one to reach the table in the garden, grabbing a sandwich with each hand and using her forearm to push her fringe away from her face before digging in.

"Classy, Sis," Al remarked as he sat down across from her. Lily made a rude finger gesture that was quick enough to go unnoticed by their father but not by their Grandmother.

"I used to tell your Uncle Ronald that I'd jinx his fingers together for doing that," she remarked blandly, giving Lily a sharp look. "Shall I see if I can still remember the spell?"

"No, Nana," Lily replied, blushing. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Albus smirked and Lily glared at him once Molly's back had turned.

"So how is life at good old Hogwarts?" Harry asked, settling himself onto the bench after giving his daughter a disapproving look.

"The usual," Al shrugged. "Classes, quidditch, revision…"

"Snogging their girlfriends' faces off," Lily interrupted with a wicked smile on her face. This time it was Al's turn to glare. Fortunately, Harry only laughed.

"If you're trying to get them in trouble, Lily, you're going to have to do better than that," he advised. "I did my share of snogging girls during my school years. Besides, I happen to know that both of the girlfriends in question are more than capable of taking care of themselves. They wouldn't appreciate me meddling and neither would their mothers. Although," he remarked, turning to Al. "A little discretion would go a long way toward restoring Neville's peace of mind." Al only blushed and nodded as he chewed his sandwich.

"Alright then," Lily continued. "Maybe they're not up to anything suspicious, but James definitely is."

"Oh?" Harry asked with a small smile on his face.

"He's been acting very strange lately. He disappears for hours at a time and no one seems to know where he is. Then when he turns up again he never explains what he's been doing. Then today – who passes up quidditch to write a letter on the first day of hols when we just saw everyone this morning?"

"I should think that the answer would be fairly obvious," Harry responded mildly. The teenagers only stared back in confusion, causing Harry to chuckle. "I was a second year when your Uncle Percy started acting much the same way, so I would have sorted it out on my own, but as it turns out, James has already confided in me." Lily scowled darkly. "If you put half as much effort into your studies as you put into trying to make trouble for your brothers, Lily, you'd have better marks than Rose."

Both boys laughed at this while Lily sulked. The conversation meandered as everyone continued to eat until Harry inevitably asked his son about Alice's birthday present. Al squirmed slightly and Scorpius gave him a sympathetic look.

"It was brilliant," Al assured his dad. "I got her this bonsai cherry tree because she likes unusual plants, just like Neville. I honestly wasn't sure if she'd like it, but she was really pleased."

"She must've been, since you two spent the next two hours alone in your dorm room," Lily blurted. "What were you doing in there all that time?"

Al's head snapped up, his expression shocked and furious. Harry's eyebrows shot up as he turned to look at Al. Scorpius gaped at Lily.

"Lily! We agreed…" he started.

"Don't try to deny it, we all saw you on the map!" she blundered on.

"What map is that?" Harry demanded, anger finally creeping into his voice.

"LILY!" Al exploded, jumping to his feet and pulling his wand. In the next second, all three teenagers were standing, wands drawn, seething with rage.

"PROTEGO!"

The force of Harry Potter's shield charm knocked the others to the ground. He quickly summoned all of their wands and stowed them away in his pocket. He watched with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face while they struggled to their feet.

"Go and thank Molly for the sandwiches and say goodbye. I think it's time we went home."


	24. Busted

The moment everyone emerged from the fireplace at the Potters' house, Harry began barking orders.

"Lily, go to your room, I'll send your mother up to deal with you in a few minutes. Albus, go wait in my study so we can have a talk. Scorpius, you can wait here or in Al's room."

The teenagers cringed as they moved toward their assigned destinations. Harry stepped into the kitchen to explain the situation to Ginny, who headed up the stairs after her daughter with a grim expression. Harry proceeded to the study, where he shut the door and sat down behind his desk, fixing his younger son with a penetrating gaze.

"So, first thing's first. How long have you had the map?"

"Three years," Al mumbled. "James found it during Christmas hols when he was a fourth year and nicked it to take back to school. We didn't know he had it at first. It was months before he showed it to the rest of us."

"How many people know about it?" Harry questioned.

"Just me, Rose, Scor, Lily, and Hugo," he answered. "James keeps it with him, since he's the one who found it, but he'll let the rest of us borrow it once in a while. Plus, we figured that since I have the cloak, it's only fair that he should get the map."

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses and rubbing a tired hand over his eyes.

"I used to check on you kids with that map. The last time I pulled it out was when Lily started at Hogwarts. Your Mum and I watched her sorted into Gryffindor and after you were all settled into the tower for the night, I put it away and haven't looked for it since. That map kept me, Ron, and Hermione out of a lot of trouble when we were at school. It got us into a fair amount of trouble as well. I trust that you've worked out who the Marauders were?" Al nodded. "I debated whether or not to pass it along to you boys, but it seemed like I was encouraging troublemaking if I just handed it over. It always seems to find its way into the hands of the people who are meant to have it, though," he finished with a grudging smile.

"Well, since James is apparently using it to spy on me, I wouldn't complain if you decided to take it away," Al grumbled, shifting in his seat.

"Ah, yes. That is the other matter we need to discuss. Sneaking your girlfriend into your dorm room? Were you really alone together for two hours?"

"We weren't… we've never… " Al broke off, embarrassed. "I just wanted to give her birthday present to her without a bunch of other people around. After that we were just talking…and snogging."

"I see," Harry responded, visibly relieved. "Nevertheless, you both could have been in a great deal of trouble if you'd been caught. Not to mention that, if things had gotten…heated between you…"

"Dad!" Al groaned. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Listen, by the time I was ready to have this conversation, the only father figure left to me was your Granddad Weasley. Now if you think you'd be more comfortable talking with Neville, be my guest."

The look of horror on Al's face was almost enough to make Harry laugh. Instead, he took a deep breath and pushed on with the subject.

"I know we've already taught you all the basics. You know how it works, you know the consequences, and you know how to prevent them. But a little revision never hurt anyone. Making a birth control potion takes planning. There are specific ingredients that need to be bought, it takes a day to brew, and a woman has to take it every week for a full month before it will be effective. The last thing you want to do is to get caught up in the moment without being prepared. Allowing yourself to be in a situation where that is a possibility is risky and unwise."

Something flashed across Al's features as Harry spoke, but when he finished, his son only nodded solemnly.

"Don't worry, Dad," Al answered. "I'll be more careful. Besides, I don't really think that'll be an issue any time soon."

"What do you mean by that?" Harry inquired.

"Well, I said…I told her I love her," he confessed. "I think I scared her off a bit."

"Did you mean it?"

"Of course I meant it! I just didn't mean to _say_ it," Al exclaimed. "I knew it was too soon, but it just sort of slipped out. She didn't say anything at all, just kind of froze up. When I tried to apologize and explain, she just looked at me with this sad, scared look on her face. Aaaargh! I feel so stupid!"

Harry's expression softened. "Did anyone ever tell you that your Mum knew she wanted to marry me when she was ten years old?"

"What?" Al almost laughed. "That's mad!"

"It was," Harry agreed. "She didn't even know me. The first time I came to stay at The Burrow, she couldn't be in the same room as me without dropping whatever she was holding or knocking something over. It was nearly as embarrassing for me as it was for her. Everyone has crushes when they're young, but your mother never really grew out of hers. The longer I was around and the more she got to know me, the more convinced she was that we were meant for each other. I was nearly of age before I started to recognize what an amazing woman she is and how much I need her in my life. She had to be very patient while waiting for me to come around."

"Yeah, that's more or less what Scor told me," Al sighed. "He said something about our family being an anomaly and that Weasleys always seem to fall in love faster than other people, but if I wait for her to catch up, it'll be alright."

"Smart lad, that friend of yours," Harry mused. "Speaking of which, you should go find him and give this back to him." Harry handed Scorpius and Al's confiscated wands across the desk. "Tell him I'm not angry with him and I do not hold him responsible for my children's misdemeanors." Al nodded and gave his Dad a small smile before leaving the room in search of Scorpius.

He found him lounging on his camp bad in Al's room, reading "Quidditch Quarterly".

"Dad says to tell you that he's not cross with you and you can have this back," Al said, tossing the wand to his friend.

"Thanks, mate," Scorpius replied, catching the wand and putting it away in his pocket. "What about you? He read you the riot act?"

"Nah, not really. I got a bit of a lecture about sneaking Alice into the dorm but other than that he was pretty cool about everything. It's Mum that loses her nut over things like that." Al laid his own wand on his bedside table before flopping down onto his bed. "You might have told me that you saw us on the map though."

"Sorry, mate. I never dreamed Lily would blurt it out like that. We had all agreed not to say anything about it and I just figured you were happier not knowing that we knew."

"Is that why you haven't told me that you're sleeping with Rose?"

"What?" Scorpius exclaimed, dropping his magazine. "I'm not…we haven't…why would you say that?"

"It was something my Dad said," Al explained. "Remember back in February when Rose replaced her hair potion? I asked her what else was in the box and she got all defensive and wouldn't answer me. Then she kept sneaking off and wouldn't tell us where she was going. I think she made a birth control potion."

"Well if she has, she didn't tell me about it either. I haven't slept with your cousin." Scorpius was quiet for a moment, keeping his face carefully calm. "I will though, eventually."

Al's head snapped up, a scowl on his face.

"Look, mate," Scorpius continued. "You told me yourself not to go out with her unless what I felt was real. It is. I love her. I want to be with her for…forever, for as long as she'll have me. So, at some point, we will have sex."

Al groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"You're my best mate and I won't lie to you," Scorpius promised. "I will keep my mouth shut when I think you'd rather not know something, but if you ask me directly I will tell you the truth. So next time you ask me that question, you might want to think about whether you actually want to know the answer."

"You're right, I guess," Al grumbled. "Do you think Rose would obliviate me if I asked her to? I could really stand to forget pretty much everything that has happened in the past two hours."


	25. Easter

Easter at The Burrow was a confusion of red hair, loud noises, and enough wonderful food to feed the army that was the Weasley family. Rose stood in the thick of it, surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins, and took in the banquet table laden with eggs, sausages, bacon, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, fresh fruit, toast, pastries, pumpkin juice, coffee, and tea. Her mouth watered in anticipation and she was just about to grab a plate when she was wrapped in a pair of warm, strong, familiar arms.

"Good morning," Scorpius muttered softly in her ear.

"Good morning," Rose answered. "I was wondering when you all were going to get here."

"Well, getting Al out of bed any day is a challenge," Scorpius explained. "But now Lily's dragging her feet too. There was a… an incident yesterday. I'll explain later. Ginny's taken Lily's broom away until the end of the year."

"Oh no!" Rose exclaimed. "What will you do about a third chaser?"

"There's a reserve, but he's not as good," Scorpius replied. "Anyway, she's in a serious strop. I'd steer clear if I were you."

"Thanks for the warning," Rose replied. "Would you like to have breakfast with me?"

"I would," he answered, letting go of her and grabbing a plate for himself and handing one to Rose.

As it was unusually warm for early April, most of the family took their breakfast out to the garden. There were two good-sized tables set up, but Rose and Scorpius found a spot on the ground away from the crowd where they could talk more privately. Rose ate enthusiastically while Scorpius related the row that had happened the day before.

"I don't know what made her do it," Scorpius finished. "It was like she was determined to get Al or James into trouble. Is she cross with them for some reason?"

"Sort of, I suppose," Rose answered. "I heard from my Mum, who had it from Aunt Ginny, that Madam Zingiber wrote to them about Lily. Apparently she skipped so many classes last term that the Matron was concerned about her having a chronic condition. That's when Aunt Ginny told Uncle George that he couldn't sell her any more skiving snackboxes. James told me that Lily tried to blackmail him to buy them for her, but he refused."

"She's got OWLS next year! What is she playing at?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

"She's a fourteen year old girl," Rose said with a shrug. "She's rebelling. That's what fourteen year old girls do."

"You didn't go mad when you were fourteen," Scorpius argued.

"Two words: Jake Smith."

"Fair point," Scorpius conceded. "I hated that git. I couldn't believe you dated him for three months."

"Admit it, you were jealous," Rose accused.

"I was insanely jealous," Scorpius agreed. "But it all worked out alright in the end."

"Yes, it did," Rose said, beaming. They finished their breakfast in silence before pushing their plates aside and scooting closer together. Scorpius wrapped his arm around Rose and laid his cheek against the top of her head.

"Rose, could I ask you something?" Scorpius asked softly.

"Of course," she answered.

"Are you… er, have you been taking a birth control potion?"

An expression of surprise flashed across Rose's features before she smiled up at him.

"Yes, I have," she replied.

"Oh, okay. Good," Scorpius muttered.

"What made you ask?"

"Just something Al said got me thinking, that's all," he replied. "It seemed like something I should know."

"You're wondering whether it will soon be necessary," Rose surmised, smirking. Scorpius shook his head.

"We'll wait as long as you want to. You and I, this isn't about sex."

"That's good," Rose whispered, placing a soft kiss on his lightly stubbled cheek. "But I'm done with waiting."

Scorpius' eyebrows disappeared beneath his fringe as he turned his head to look into her eyes. She smiled as shock, confusion, excitement, lust, and frustration all fought for control of his face.

"Why, for the love of Merlin, are we sitting in a garden surrounded by your family when we should be at Hogwarts with no one around?" he hissed, causing her to chuckle.

"And miss all this?" Rose gestured toward the thick of the crowd. "Trust me. I told you I'd figure out a way for us to spend time alone and I will." She kissed him once more before picking up the plates and taking them into the house.

Inside, she found Lily sitting in the kitchen, sulking. Rose smiled tentatively but Lily only scowled back, so Rose left the plates by the sink and hurried out.

James was in the sitting room, writing something on a piece of parchment, while her cousin Fred and Uncle Harry's godson Teddy played wizards' chess. She dropped onto the couch next to James and tried to peer over his shoulder before he snatched the parchment away.

"What are you writing?" she asked.

"Letter to his girlfriend," Fred supplied, smirking.

"What girlfriend? I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Rose looked accusingly at James. "Who is it?"

"None of your business, so bugger off, the lot of you," James answered, getting up from the couch and moving toward the stairs.

"These Potter kids are all so touchy," Teddy remarked, sending a pawn to smash one of Fred's.

"Well, according to Scor, there was a pretty bad row yesterday," Rose explained.

"Ah, yes, how is my dear cousin?" Teddy glanced up at Rose with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"He's just fine," Rose answered, doing her best not to blush. "How's _my_ cousin?"

"Bloody brilliant." Teddy flashed her an enormous grin. "Have you seen her?"

"Not yet," Rose admitted. "I should probably go out and say hullo. You two enjoy your game." With that, Rose returned to the back garden, where she noticed that Scorpius had decided to mingle. She scanned the sea of gingers for another flash of blonde and made her way toward the eldest of her cousins, who was standing near the pond, surrounded by aunts.

"Victorie!" Rose greeted her as she broke through the crowd. The blonde woman's face was beaming as she held her hands out in greeting. Rose took them in her own and was about to pull her into an embrace when something beneath her fingers distracted her.

"What's…Oh my goodness!" Rose squealed. Her eyes travelled between her cousin's flushed, smiling face and the elegant ring that adorned the third finger of her left hand. "Did he…? Are you…? Aaaeee!" Rose squealed again and threw her arms around Victoire. The assembled women laughed.

"That's so wonderful! Wait! I have to…I'll be right back!" Rose backed away from her cousin and turned to run back into the house. She tackled Teddy from behind, knocking him into the chessboard and sending the pieces scurrying across the floor. Ignoring Fred's shouted swears, she kissed the side of Teddy's head as he tried to throw her off, laughing. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! You're a Weasley for good and all, now!"

Rose finally let go of Teddy, who promised Fred a rematch, and returned to the garden. She spent the day catching up with her aunts and uncles as well as cousins who had left Hogwarts, feasting on food and chocolate, and enthusiastically cheering Scorpius and Al in the family quidditch game.

As the sun began to set that evening, some family members departed for home, but most stayed on. A few tents were set up in the garden to provide sleeping space for those who wished to stay. A campfire of sorts was created by Rose's mother, who then took her leave as the cousins sat around the pretty blue flame and talked well into the night.

Everyone had finally drifted off to bed except Teddy and Victoire, who were snogging, and Fred and James, who were engrossed in a conversation about quidditch tactics, when Rose took Scorpius' hand and silently led him away from the fire and out of the garden toward the orchard.


	26. Monday Morning

Rose was sitting at the edge of the pond, hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea, watching the sunrise. The air was cool and crisp and twittering birds swooped in and out of the gnarled old trees that dotted the garden. It felt like a perfect morning.

"So Rosie," James said, interrupting her solitude and sitting on a rock next to her. "What did Scor think of the treehouse?"

Rose very nearly dropped her tea. Her face turned red and she looked over at her cousin in shock.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nice try," James teased, smirking. "I saw you sneak off into the orchard last night. You didn't come back until after everyone had gone to bed. What were you two doing out there in the dark all alone?"

Rose narrowed her eyes at her older cousin. She really should have known better than to think he would not have been paying attention.

"None of your business, so bugger off."

James burst into laughter. "Touché. Don't worry, not all of us Potter kids are tattletales. Just don't tell Lily and your secret is safe." He rose and walked toward the house, chuckling as he went.

Rose sighed. The sun was still rising and the birds were still singing, but her sense of peace had been shattered. She drained the last of her tea and stood to follow James indoors.

Breakfast wasn't quite the affair that it has been for Easter morning, but the table was still covered in food. Rose refilled her teacup and grabbed a pastry from a heaping platter before dropping into a chair next to her cousin Molly. The younger girl yawned and dropped her head onto Rose's shoulder.

"Up too late last night, Cousin?" Rose teased her.

"Not as late as you," Molly answered. James chuckled quietly and Rose glared at him.

"I'm surprised you didn't stay at Hogwarts, with your OWLS only a few weeks away," Rose observed. "We all stayed behind last year."

"I didn't want to miss seeing the family," Molly explained. "I plan to spend the rest of the hols barricaded in my room with a stack of books, though."

"I remember those days," Fred commented as he entered the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. "I don't miss them either. Roxanne stayed this year to study for NEWTS and she's going to go bonkers when she finds out that Teddy and Vic got engaged. Good morning, Rosie. Have a good night?" He wiggled his eyebrows and she scowled.

"Good morning!" Scorpius greeted as he entered the kitchen, followed by Al.

"Why are you so bloody cheerful?" Al demanded grumpily. James snickered, Fred snorted into his coffee, and Rose rolled her eyes. Scorpius threw a questioning glance at his girlfriend but she shook her head slightly.

"Not everyone has as much trouble waking up as you do, Al," Scorpius answered his friend. "Here, drink your coffee and you'll be fine."

Al accepted the cup, fortunately too oblivious in his morning fog to notice the awkward tension in the room.

"Rose, do you want to take a walk with me?" Scorpius asked, grabbing a pastry for himself. She nodded and stood to follow him from the kitchen.

"Is that what they're calling it now?" Fred muttered. Rose could still hear his and James' laughter as they exited into the garden.

"Do they, er, _know_…about last night?" Scorpius asked softly as they passed through the hedge and out into the orchard.

"They don't know anything." Rose sighed. "But they've a good idea. Turns out they noticed when we got up and left the fire and that we didn't come back for quite a long time. They won't tell anyone, but they will take the mick every chance they get."

"Brilliant," Scorpius said sarcastically. They walked in silence for awhile, eating their breakfast as they went. Once he finished his pastry, Scorpius took Rose's hand in his own. She giggled, stopping beneath a tree and leaning back against the trunk as she pulled him closer.

"Your fingers are sticky," she informed him. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she brought his hand up to her face and slowly took his first finger into her mouth, sucking the sugar off before drawing it back out and moving on to the next fingertip.

"Sweet Circe," Scorpius muttered. He groaned when she got to his thumb and promptly pinned her against the tree when she was finished, capturing her lips with his own and tasting the sugar on her tongue.

"Do you want to climb back up to the treehouse and have another go?" he asked huskily, moving to kiss her neck. She laughed and pushed him away.

"You're mad!" she exclaimed. "With everyone awake? We may as well go and ask Nana if we can use one of the bedrooms!"

"Well, you can't blame a bloke for trying," Scorpius said with a shrug. "You're going to go home today and I'll go back to the Potters'. I'll see you often enough but there's no way I'll get you alone before we go back to school."

"I know," Rose acknowledged with a pout. "Dodging my parents is easy enough but getting away from Al will be impossible. We're just going to have to wait." Scorpius pulled her close and kissed her soundly before taking her hand once more and walking back toward the house.

"That was fast," James remarked as they reentered the kitchen. Scorpius answered with an obscene finger gesture that only gave James and Fred cause to laugh harder. Rose shook her head in exasperation.

"Consider yourself lucky," Scorpius told Rose. "At least you're going home today. I've got to spend the rest of the week with this pillock."

"Oh James," Rose addressed her cousin sweetly. "What's the date?"

"Tenth of April," he answered promptly.

"What happens in precisely one month from now?" she continued.

"Lily's birthday," James replied, beginning to see what she was getting at.

"Yes, so how much do you think you can annoy me and still be able to get back on my good side before you need help with your sister's birthday prank?"

James swore under his breath while Fred laughed.

"She's got you there, Coz." Fred finished his coffee, cleaned the cup with a spell and placed it back in the cupboard. "Well, I'm off," he announced, clapping James on the back and pulling Rose into a fierce hug. He looked Scorpius in the eye as he shook his hand. "All kidding aside, mate, you be good to my cousin, alright?" Scorpius nodded in response.

Fred took his leave and the rest began to follow in small groups. Rose lingered, not wanting to be separated from Scorpius so soon. They helped clean up the kitchen and put away the tents until there was nothing left to be done and Al convinced them it was time to leave. Scorpius held Rose against him and kissed her lovingly as they stood next to the fireplace.

"Oh, Merlin's balls, will you two STOP!" Al complained.

"Go on if you don't want to see, but I want a chance to say goodbye," Rose retorted.

"No need to say goodbye. We're all going to yours," Al explained.

"Since when?" Rose asked, confused.

"Since my sister's being a stroppy cow and Mum's on the warpath. I don't plan to spend any more time in that house than I am required to this week. I already asked Dad and Uncle Ron and they both said it was fine. So you can stop doing that!"

Scorpius and Rose looked at each other and grinned as Al threw a handful of floo powder into the grate.


	27. Going Muggle

A/N: _I'm poking fun at the movie makers a bit in this chapter. I'm curious to see how many people will get the joke._

"Relax, Al. I know what I'm doing," Rose grumbled.

"You'd better," her cousin replied. "I don't need to be leaving bits of me behind, do I?"

"Your bits will be fine," Rose answered tartly. Both boys winced. "Now stop your whinging and take my arm."

Moments later, Rose, Al, and Scorpius found themselves standing in the middle of Diagon Alley, where the shops were just beginning to open. A few witches and wizards were getting an early start on their shopping, but the street was largely quiet and serene. The trio immediately turned toward the end of the street and made their way to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Good morning Al, Rose, Scorpius," Hannah Longbottom greeted them cheerfully. "Alice will be right down. Can I get you some breakfast?"

"No, thank you, Hannah," Rose answered. "We're going out to a coffee shop."

"Coffee shop?" Hannah asked skeptically. "What kind of breakfast are you going to find at a coffee shop?"

"Coffee," Al said cheekily. Rose nudged him.

"They have scones and pastries and things," Rose explained. "We're going muggle today."

Hannah chuckled, shaking her head. "If someone had told me when I was your age that teenagers going out into the muggle world and doing things without magic would be considered the height of entertainment, I'd have said they were mad."

"Dad used to take Mum on dates at muggle places," Al countered.

"Yes, that's true. It was easier for him to blend in out there," Hannah agreed, gesturing toward the front of the pub. "Especially right after the war was over. He couldn't set foot in Diagon Alley without being mobbed for about a year, poor man."

"Good morning, Mum!" Alice greeted her mother as she appeared from the stairs in the corner. "Goodbye, Mum!" She laughed. "We'll be gone all day, I think. I'll see you tonight."

"Have fun and be safe, all of you," Hannah insisted. "Remember, the statute of secrecy has exceptions, so if anyone bothers you, apparate! Better brought up before the Wizengamot than robbed or worse!"

"We'll be fine, Mum," Alice assured her. "Don't worry."

"I'm your mother, it's my job," Hannah insisted, giving her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek before waving them all out the door.

The four teenagers spilled out into the vast wilderness of the non-magical community and happily made their way up the street to a café where they bought drinks and breakfast. They sat around a small table to eat and caught up on the past four days while they did so. When Scorpius had finished his croissant, he gave Rose a mischievous look and wiggled his buttery fingers, causing her to laugh and Al and Alice to look confused.

Finished with breakfast, they walked to the tube station, where Rose and Al, their pockets full of muggle money, bought one-day passes for each of them. Crowding around a map, they pointed out various destinations and discussed where they wanted to go.

The tube was crowded, but Al managed to find a seat and promptly pulled Alice into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a squeeze that made her giggle. Rose and Scorpius stood, Scorpius holding the railing for support and Rose holding on to him.

They changed trains once before disembarking at Tower Hill. Rose and Al once again handled the transaction of purchasing tickets and they blended into a group of muggle tourists making their way into the Tower of London.

"It always astounds me to think that muggles have built such enormous grand castles without magic," Alice commented later as they stood in the inner ward and gazed up at the White Tower. "It's truly amazing."

"You sound like my Grandad," Al joked, causing Alice to smack him lightly on the arm.

"They haven't, really," Rose explained. "The original structure predates the statute of secrecy, so when it was first built, it was quite common for wizards to be hired to assist the builders. They'd use magic to lift the heavier stones and cure the mortar quickly so that walls wouldn't lean or fall before they were set. That's all been expunged from the muggle histories, of course. Now they use scaffolding and heavy equipment to take the place of magimasons."

Leaving the tower, they walked along the Thames toward the Millennium Bridge.

"You can't tell me this predates the statute of secrecy," Alice told Rose as they crossed the steel and concrete footbridge. Rose laughed.

"Far from it," she answered. "This bridge is less than twenty-five years old, but it's so much a part of the city now that people often forget that isn't hasn't been here longer."

They visited the Globe Theatre before retracing their steps to a chip shop that they'd passed and stopping for lunch.

"We should go and find some good shops," Rose suggested. "I need to get a birthday present for Lily."

"There's a place my Mum likes to go," Al offered. "It has a cinema nearby so we can see a film afterward if anyone's interested."

"I've never been to a cinema," Alice admitted. "That sounds like fun."

They all agreed and made their way back to the tube station.

Rose selected a shiny red purse with gold fastenings at the second shop they stopped in.

"House pride and a fashionable accessory all in one," Alice laughed. "Perfect! It won't hold much though."

"It will when I'm done with it," Rose replied with a grin.

"Think she'll like this?" Al asked, holding up a t-shirt with a sparkly image of the union flag on the front.

"Lily can't get enough of muggle clothes, she'll love it," Rose answered. "But I thought you already bought her a gift."

"I did. I bought her new chaser's gloves," Al explained. "Something tells me that won't go over very well right now. I'll save them for Christmas and give her this instead."

They made their purchases and walked to the cinema, bags in hand.

"What should we see?" Al asked.

"Does it matter?" Scorpius questioned with a smirk. Al and Rose laughed, but Alice only looked confused.

"You'll understand when we get inside," Al assured her.

Alice was still puzzled when they filed into the theatre, especially when Rose and Scorpius chose seats a few rows away from where she and Al had sat down. As the lights dimmed, however, realization dawned and she blushed furiously.

"We can just watch the film, if you want," Al whispered, leaning close. "Since it is your first one and all."

Alice gazed into his bright green eyes and felt herself melt. His expression was sincere but just a little bit hopeful and the way he pushed his black fringe off his face was incredibly attractive. She found herself staring at his lips as her own widened into a smile.

"Well, we should probably do some snogging and some watching," she answered quietly. "You know, so I can have the whole experience." She giggled at Al's enormous grin but gasped in surprise when the giant screen at the front of the room suddenly lit up and moving images began flashing across it.

At first, Alice was captivated by the telling of a story with a combination of moving pictures and sound. Even in the wizarding world, where photographs were animated and paintings could hold conversations, there was nothing quite like it. It was not long, however, before she began to lose the thread of the story. After a couple of references that she didn't understand and a scene that didn't make sense to her, she was getting a bit restless. She looked down at Al's hand, his fingers intertwined with hers, and brushed her thumb across his knuckles. He looked up and caught her eye, smiling when she blushed. Shifting in his seat, he grabbed the armrest between them and pushed it upwards until it was lodged between the backs of their two seats. Then he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and drew her close. She tilted her face toward his and met his lips with her own.

"Ahem," a voice suddenly said from nearby. Alice broke away and opened her eyes to find the theatre well lit and almost empty. Rose and Scorpius were standing at the end of their row, both smirking.

"Oh, sorry," Alice exclaimed, blushing. "I was distracted. Great film, wasn't it?"

"Brilliant," Scorpius replied with a grin while Rose covered her face to hide her laugh.


	28. Discovery

On the first day back at Hogwarts, Rose awoke early, even by her usual standards. The dorm was still quite dark but when she rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep, slumber was elusive. Giving it up as a bad job, Rose swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled the curtains aside as she sat up.

The first thing she noticed was an odd buzzing noise. She shook her head and rubbed at her ear, wondering if it were just her imagination. It almost reminded her of the effects of a muffling charm.

The second thing she noticed was a very familiar broom leaning against the wall.

As the pieces clicked together in her brain, Rose shook her head again, this time in disbelief. It couldn't be. There had to be some sort of explanation. Surely she'd have noticed before now. She grabbed her wand from the bedside table and cast a quick, "_finite_". The buzzing ceased and was replaced by the unmistakable sound of snoring. That didn't necessarily mean anything. But she had to know. She stood and pulled aside the curtains around Violet's bed.

Her dormmate's long, sandy-colored hair was spread across her pillow. Resting against her shoulder, however, was a head of short, ginger hair, and a freckled arm was draped across her torso.

Violet woke suddenly, staring up at Rose in surprise as she took in her surroundings and began to comprehend the situation.

"Oh, Merlin," she swore quietly.

Throwing Rose an apologetic grimace, Violet began to nudge the sleeping boy and trying to wake him.

"James," she whispered, giving his shoulder a shake. "Sweetie, you fell asleep in my bed. It's morning, wake up."

"Issnot," James slurred, lifting his head slightly before nestling it back against Violet's chest. "Isstill dark."

"I know, honey, but Rose is awake," she insisted, pushing him away as he tried to slip his arm around her waist. "You need to wake up."

"Rosie?" he asked, propping himself up on one arm and rubbing sleep from his eyes. Rose averted her eyes as Violet struggled to cover herself.

"What are you doing in our dorm, James?" Rose asked. James peered up at her and smirked.

"Nothing you haven't done," he replied cheekily. Rose rolled her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," Violet implored. "You were never supposed to find out like this. I'll explain everything later, okay?"

"Right," Rose murmured, pulling the curtains closed. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go try to obliviate myself."

Instead, Rose exited the common room and made her way to the kitchens, where she was greeted by a bevy of house-elves who were busy preparing for breakfast. She politely requested a large mug of hot cocoa and some toast with marmalade. She thanked the house-elves graciously before taking her food back to the common room to eat.

Setting her food on a small table, Rose curled up in one of the room's many squishy armchairs and opened a book before lifting the mug to her lips and savoring a sip of the rich chocolate beverage. The warmth seeped through her, both comforting and distracting. She allowed herself to be immersed in her book and her breakfast, forgetting about her discovery, oblivious to her surroundings. She had finished the toast and cocoa by the time Scorpius appeared behind her book and scooped her up in both arms. He turned deftly and sat in her chair, placing her across his lap.

"Good morning," he greeted her cheerfully.

"Er, it might be too late for that," Rose sighed with a resigned smile. "But I'm sure you'll do your best to change my mind. What has you up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep," he answered vaguely with a shrug.

"Bad dream?" she pressed. The corner of Scorpius' mouth twitched.

"Quite the opposite actually," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. "I dreamed about you." Rose squirmed and giggled softly. "But enough about that, what do you mean 'too late for that'?"

"Well I awoke this morning to find James in bed with my dormmate," Rose explained. "It doesn't make for a wonderful start to a day."

"Which one?"

"Violet," Rose clarified. "I knew he had some secret girlfriend he's been seeing, but for some reason I never expected it to be someone I know. Nor did I expect to find them both naked."

Scorpius snickered.

"I'm glad you find the whole thing so amusing. I'm going to be haunted by that image forever," Rose grumbled with a slightly nauseated expression.

"Well, let me see if I can help you take your mind off of it," Scorpius teased with a grin, pulling her closer in his arms as he leaned down to cover her lips with his own.

Rose melted into him, loving the warmth of his embrace and the thrill of kissing him. Their snogging quickly became heated as Scorpius began to run his hands up and down her body. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she idly played with his hair as she kissed him hungrily. She shifted in his lap slightly, causing him to groan.

"Rose, you have no idea how badly I want to carry you back upstairs with me right now," he muttered, his forehead resting against hers as he tried to catch his breath.

"Mmm, don't tempt me," she purred in response, continuing to run her fingers through his short blonde hair. "So tell me about this dream you had."

"I'd rather show you," Scorpius whispered hoarsely. Rose made a soft whimpering sound as grasped her hip firmly with one hand and tackled her neck with his lips.

"Hypocrite"

Rose's eyes were closed and her pulse was pounding in her ears, so she almost missed James' muttered remark as he passed through the common room. Her eyes snapped open and she sprung to her feet.

"Don't you dare call me a hypocrite, James Potter!" Rose seethed.

"Than don't act like one," James shot back. "At least Vi and I were behind closed curtains. You're down here putting on a show in the middle of the common room. Have a little decency."

"First of all, it's not even six o'clock yet," Rose retorted. "There's no one in here except us. Furthermore, we're not 'putting on a show' and I'll thank you to notice that we both still have all of our clothes on."

"Not for long, from the look of things," James snorted.

"Shows how much you know," Rose answered.

"What, you give the bloke a taste during the hols but cut him off when we're back to school? That's just cruel, Rose." James' words were teasing, but there was a hard edge to his voice.

"My sex life is none of your business!" Rose exclaimed.

"And mine is none of yours," he answered calmly.

"Except when it takes place six feet from where I sleep!" Rose continued. "Godric, James, you might have warned me!"

"The curtains were closed!" he argued. "We cast a muffling charm! There was no reason whatsoever for you to find us like that! All you had to do was get up and walk out of the dorm, Rose."

Rose was temporarily struck dumb. James had a point, of course. It had been her infernal curiosity that had driven her to confirm her suspicions. Her compulsion to root out answers to questions and solutions to mysteries had been both a blessing and a curse since she was a small child. While a certain amount of maturity had given her better control over her behavior, she still found it maddening to be faced with a subject she didn't understand or a problem she couldn't solve. The temptation of discovering the identity of James' secret girlfriend had simply been too much for her freshly awakened brain.

"But that's not what has your wand in a knot, is it?" Rose asked, comprehension dawning. "You don't actually care that I found you in bed, that would just be a laugh to you. You're hacked off that I found you at all. You don't want anyone to know that you're shagging Violet Finnegan. So why all the mystery, James? Why are you so keen to keep your relationship a secret?"

James froze, anger and something that might have been fear in his eyes. For several seconds they stood, staring each other down. When James finally spoke, his voice was soft and fearful, so different from his usual jesting tones that Rose was caught off guard.

"Because I love her."


	29. The Truth

After James left, Rose returned to her dorm to shower and dress and then lingered while the other girls readied themselves for the day and made their way downstairs. When she and Violet were finally alone, they each sat on their own beds, facing each other.

"I never meant to keep it a secret for this long," Violet began. "At first, it was just a lark. I don't think either of us expected it to be more than a fling so there was no reason to tell anyone anything and sneaking around was just part of the fun. But then we kept meeting up more and more often, and not always to snog. Sometimes we would talk about stuff, sometimes we would just sit together and study. I finally realized what was happening when my Grandad died and James was the only person I wanted to see. He just held me and let me cry. After that I told him I wanted to be a proper couple and he said he did too, but that he was worried about how people would treat me. I know you remember what happened with Amy Tyler."

Rose nodded. Amy, a shy muggleborn girl, had been James' first girlfriend. They'd only dated for two weeks in third year, but Amy had been bullied so badly as a result that she hadn't come back for her fourth. Instead, she'd applied for transfer to a Canadian school of magic and was finishing her education abroad. She knew James had felt terrible about what had happened and his inability to put a stop to it but she hadn't realized that he was still carrying the guilt after all this time.

"I told him that we're not fourteen anymore and that I can take care of myself," Violet continued. "But he said he wanted to keep it just between us all the same. Your family has done a brilliant job at keeping you all out of the press, but he's still Harry Potter's son and he inevitably attracts attention. He said he wasn't willing to put me in the spotlight like that unless we were really serious. So I agreed to wait a few more weeks. Then a few weeks became a few months. At this point, I don't know why we haven't told anyone except that it just never came up. Both of our parents know."

"How long have you been together?" Rose asked.

"I suppose it depends on when you start counting, doesn't it?" Violet chuckled. "We've been dating, properly dating, since December. But the snogging started at the beginning of the school year."

"So James wasn't…you two weren't…," Rose stumbled. "Your visit to Saint Mungos last summer. That wasn't him?"

"Merlin, no!" she gasped. "Is that what you've been worried about?" Violet shook her head. "If you must know, that was a one-off. I won't tell you who, because I've put it behind me and it's none of your business."

"Of course not," Rose mumbled. "I didn't mean –"

"It's alright," Violet interrupted. "James knows about it too. I told him early on that I wasn't going to make that mistake again. When we started, you know, getting serious, I realized I needed to make a potion. I'm a crap potioneer, though, and I almost asked you for help but I was afraid that you would ask why I needed it. In the end, James helped me make it."

For the second time that morning, Rose was speechless. While she loved her cousin dearly and had always known that he was a genuinely nice bloke, she had nevertheless thought of him as the eternal prankster, playful and lighthearted and silly. The idea of him doing anything so mature as helping his girlfriend make a contraceptive potion left her gobsmacked.

"Oh, Merlin," Rose muttered. "I… I need to go and talk to him. I'm so sorry, Violet. I'm sorry for waking you up this morning and for going mental. I won't tell anyo-"

"No!" Violet insisted. "I'm not keeping any more secrets. Tell whoever you want. James needs to realize that his misguided chivalry isn't doing anyone any good at this point. It's time to stop hiding."

Rose impulsively embraced the other girl before hurrying from the dorm and down the stairs.

She met Scorpius on his way up to the common room from the great hall.

"I'm sorry for this morning," she muttered after she'd pulled him aside in the hallway and given him a quick kiss.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he answered. "It was probably a good thing that we were interrupted anyway."

"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, James had a point. The common room is no place to get carried away, even if we think we're alone. Anyone could walk in at any time."

"Agreed," Scorpius said. "So, I don't want to sound like a complete berk, but speaking of points that James made this morning…" Rose smirked.

"No," she said firmly. "I am not 'cutting you off' as he so eloquently put it. We'll find ways to be together, even here at school."

"If we get caught though…" Scorpius argued. "They'll take away your badge. You'll never get the Head Girl job next year. That's a lot of risk to be taking."

"We'll just have to be very, very careful," Rose reasoned. "I'm not going to put our relationship on hold for over a year just because we're still at school. We can be discreet. It'll be fine. But I really need to go find my cousin and talk to him, so I'll see you in class, okay?"

Scorpius nodded, pulling Rose in close for another kiss before releasing her.

She found James just where she'd expected to. In times of stress, Potters always went to the pitch.

"James! Come down, I need to talk to you," Rose shouted. James landed and walked toward her, his face set and angry. The moment her got close enough, Rose threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as hard as she could.

"I'm sorry I went mental on you this morning and I'm sorry that I didn't think better of you than to believe that this was all just a game," Rose apologized to his shoulder. When she drew back, the anger was gone from James' face and had been replaced with muddled surprise and relief. "That being said, this secrecy thing has got to stop. Violet already told me to tell everyone because she doesn't want to hide anymore. She deserves better."

"But what about –" James began.

"What people will say?" Rose interrupted. "Gossip mongers and jealous cows who will try to ruin everyone else's happiness because they can't have it themselves? You can't stop those people but you shouldn't let them have so much power as to stop you from living your life. You've dated plenty of other girls in the past few years and they all managed just fine."

"I was never serious about them though," James confessed. "The way I feel about Vi, it changes things."

"Everything has changed, James," Rose continued. "We're adults now and anyone who tries to harass Violet Finnegan will get everything she deserves and more. Have you seen that girl's spellwork in defense?" That made James laugh.

"Yeah, she can be fiery," he agreed, chuckling. "We are, aren't we? Adults, I mean. I know we're of age and all, but it's more than that now. We're all in these serious relationships and getting ready to leave school. Godric, I'll be done in less than two months." He rubbed a hand over his face.

"I'm going to miss you," Rose confessed. "I know I'll still have Al and Scor, of course. Lily and Hugo will still be tagging along everywhere. But it's not going to be the same without you around."

'Ah, stop it," James laughed. "You guys are going to have a brilliant time next year. Besides, we still have time for one more prank, right?" Rose felt a giant smile spread across her face.

"Let's make it two."


	30. Scheming

Al was idly munching a rasher of bacon between sips of coffee when his older brother appeared across the table with his arm around an attractive sixth-year Gryffindor girl.

"Al, you know Violet," James said by way of a greeting. "Violet you know my brother, Al." The sandy-haired girl laughed. Al only looked nonplussed.

"Of course I know her. She's in my class, you muppet," Al responded. "What are you on about?"

"Violet's my girlfriend."

"Since when?"

"Er… December…ish," James answered, grabbing some bacon for himself. "I thought, as my brother, you should be the first to know. Well, the first at school."

"Second," Violet offered. "You forgot about Rose."

"Oh yeah," James agreed. "She'll have told Scor this morning too. So third. You're the third person at Hogwarts to find out about Violet and I, Al."

"I'm touched," the younger boy responded dryly.

"Sharing the good news?" Rose asked as she dropped onto the bench next to Al. Scorpius sat down on her other side.

"Yes, we are," Violet answered. "I have you to thank, Rose." Rose shook her head as she piled her plate with eggs and toast.

"You know I'm always happy to help out a friend, but next time I'd really rather not find anyone naked." Scorpius and James both laughed while Al continued to look confused. "So, James," Rose continued softly. "I think I have a plan for Lily's birthday. We should talk about it."

"Now?" James looked alarmed.

"Yes," Rose responded. "This may be the most delicate and complicated prank we've ever pulled. We're going to need all hands on deck to do it right."

"But-" James sputtered, looking around. Although they were seated in the Great Hall, only the five of them were within hearing range, grouped together at one end of the Gryffindor table.

"I trust Violet to keep her mouth shut," Rose assured him. The two girls smiled at each other, seeming to communicate silently. "No one here is going to say a word to anyone else."

"Alright," James conceded. "Let's have it then."

When Rose finished explaining her plan, the other four students looked at her in awe.

"That's seriously brilliant," Violet breathed, clapping a hand over her mouth as a laugh escaped.

"That's seriously complicated," James added dubiously.

"That's why we need all of us in on it," Rose explained. "A fewer number won't be that funny. Fifteen is a lot, but if we each take three, it's doable."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go through with a prank at all?" Al asked. "With all the trouble she's been in lately, Lily doesn't have the best sense of humor right now."

"A birthday prank is like a Weasley sweater, Al," Rose argued. "Everyone grouches about how awful they are, but how would you feel if Nana didn't make you one this year?"

"Fair point," Al said with a shrug.

"That's why the plan is perfect," Scorpius agreed. "It's funny and just irritating enough to count as a prank, but involves minimal public embarrassment. She won't have any reason to be upset."

"Okay, I'm in," James decided. The others nodded in agreement. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing yet," Rose answered. "I'll take care of getting the supplies. We'll decide everyone's assignments a few days bef-"

Violet's eyes got wide and James made a shushing movement as they both looked at something over Rose's shoulder. Al, Rose, and Scorpius turned around to see Lily approaching the table.

"Lily, I was just going to come and find you," James greeted her cheerfully. "I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Violet."

"What were you guys talking about?" Lily looked around at them suspiciously. Violet bit her lip and blushed deeply, but the rest remained coolly impassive.

"Quidditch practice," James offered without missing a beat. "I need to schedule extra practices in order to get Williams ready to take over your spot."

"Right," Lily said with a scowl.

"Look, I'm trying to make the best of things. If you want my opinion, Mum was bang out of order taking your broom away, but neither of us can do anything about it now," James placated. "Just stay out of trouble and you'll be back on next year." Lily nodded grudgingly.

"So, did you use a charm or a potion?" Lily asked suddenly, a wicked smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. Al and Scorpius both snickered, Rose rolled her eyes, and James responded to his sister's question with a nonverbal gesture. Only Violet looked questioningly at the young redhead.

"She's implying that our brother used some sort of trickery to get you to date a git like him," Al explained. "I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind as well."

"Of course," Violet said, looking embarrassed at having not caught on more quickly.

"After you've hung around this lot a bit longer, you'll get used to the way they think," Scorpius assured her. "I spent a lot of time being confused at first myself."

"What do you mean 'at first'?" Al muttered, receiving a shove from Rose. Lily chuckled and moved down the table to sit with her classmates. James stood and Violet followed.

"I'll see you two on the pitch after dinner," he said, pointing to Al and Scorpius. "I wasn't lying about needing extra practices." The pair groaned.

After finishing breakfast, Rose, Al, and Scorpius headed to Potions, where they found their cauldrons already sitting out, a thick, greyish substance simmering in each one.

"As you know, your sample batches of polyjuice potion have been brewing while you were on holiday and are now ready for the final ingredients," Professor Cornfoot explained. "You will add the remaining lacewing flies and stir as required. You will then fill a flask with a sample of your finished, indeterminate potion before adding one of your own hairs to complete the process and filling a second flask. Bring both flasks, clearly labeled, to my desk before the end of our session today. You may begin."

The class worked in relative silence as the students focused on finishing the most complex potion that they had ever been set. Success or failure would strongly influence each student's eligibility to continue with the NEWT level class for the following year. Rose couldn't help but admire not only her mother's skill but also the audacity it had to have taken to brew polyjuice as a second year.

She coughed and waved her hands as her cauldron began issuing copious amounts of black smoke. Soon afterwards, several others in the room started doing the same.

"Not to worry," the professor assured them. "The smoke is perfectly normal at this stage of brewing. It will clear in a few minutes."

Sure enough, Rose looked down to see her potion, dark and mud-like, bubbling listlessly in her cauldron. She grabbed a flask from the box on the table and filled it with the hideous brew before placing a stopper in the top and using her wand to etch her name across the bottle. Then, wincing slightly, she pulled a single strand of curly red hair and held it above her cauldron.

"Professor?" she called out, hesitating suddenly.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"Will the potion be affected by any artificial substances that may coat the strand of hair?" she asked, blushing profusely. "For example, a hair smoothing potion?" Both Albus and Scorpius smirked while the professor looked intrigued.

"Well, that's a very good question, Miss Weasley," he replied. "Shall we perform a test to determine the answer?" Rose scowled slightly and took a step back from her cauldron before dropping her hair into the brew.

She tensed as the potion boiled and frothed but relaxed visibly once it cleared and turned a rich, golden auburn color.

"It appears that any artificial substances are burned away with the hair itself while only the essence of the person is absorbed into the potion," Professor Cornfoot observed with a smile. "Well done, Miss Weasley."

She smiled, filling and labeling her second flask before taking them both to the front of the room to be deposited on the professor's desk. When she returned, she found Scorpius bottling his silvery blue concoction while Al watched his froth and then turn a deep garnet red.

"Don't laugh at me," Rose chided as she caught Scorpius trying to bite back a smile. "It was a legitimate concern. I should think you'd be glad that I'm so cautious, considering you share a table with me."

"Yes, it was very thoughtful," he teased, grinning. "I'm surprised you haven't stowed a half dozen bottles of this stuff in your bag for potential mischief making."

"I seriously thought about it," she confessed. "Polyjuice is nasty, though, and using it can be fairly problematic. You can't just drink it down and go to class as someone else. You've got to change clothes and shoes and everything. Too many details to worry about means too many things to go wrong. Besides, I try not to stockpile supplies for pranks I haven't planned yet."

"I see," Scorpius answered with a grin.

"Our time is done for today, class," Professor Cornfoot addressed his students. "Next session we will begin working on Veritaserum. For homework, please write two feet of parchment detailing the ingredients for Veritaserum and their individual effects on the potion as a whole."

Several people, including Al and Scorpius, groaned at this. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, it's only two feet of parchment," she muttered.

"Yes, but there will probably be another two feet for Charms, and something else for Defense, and James will have us doing extra quidditch practices for the rest of the month," Al complained. "I'm not going to have free time again until June!"

Rose only shook her head at her cousin's dramatics as they filed out into the hall.


	31. Boys

It was nearly dark by the time James called an end to that evening's quidditch practice. Six tired Gryffindors landed on the pitch and gathered around their captain.

"We're a strong team. A change in the lineup this late in the year is a hardship, but it's one we can overcome if we stay focused and work hard. We're going to have extra practices running up to the last game to make sure we can work as a group and Mickey, I want you to do those drills I showed you as often as you have time for."

The assembled players nodded in agreement.

"Scor, could you hang around for a mo? Everyone else, I'll see you Wednesday evening."

Al gave his brother a strange look before shouldering his broom and moving off the pitch toward the changing rooms.

"I know Williams doesn't match up to Lily's brilliance, but he's not bad," Scorpius told James when the others were out of earshot.

"No, he's not," James agreed. "Any team would be happy to have him, or any of my other players for that matter. You're all brilliant. But there's more to a winning team than just brilliant players. You and Lily and Colleen had a rhythm. You've played together for awhile and you communicate well. Now we have to take Lily out and replace her with Mickey Williams and try to make him fit the group the way she did. It's not going to be easy. But I didn't ask you to stay so we could talk chaser tactics."

"You didn't?" Scorpius looked at him in confusion.

"Nope," James confirmed. "I want to show you something. Let's go for a fly." He mounted his broom and kicked off, rising rapidly into the air. Scorpius followed quickly.

They flew out over the Black Lake, circling around the castle toward the Forbidden Forest. James did not lead Scorpius into the trees, however. Making a sudden, sharp left, he descended toward the castle and landed nimbly on a parapet.

"See that tower there?" James asked, pointing, once Scorpius had landed next to him.

"Gryffindor tower," the younger boy observed.

"Correct," James replied. "You can see the common room there where the windows are all lit up. Now look up that way a bit. Can you see the window with the chipped stone at the corner? It looks a bit like an arrow."

"Yeah," Scorpius answered.

"That's a window in the sixth year girls' dorm," James explained with a grin. "Specifically, the one between Rose and Violet's beds."

"Good to know," Scorpius responded, a grin spreading across his face.

"Now, I have three pieces of advice for you," James continued. "One, don't fall asleep. That's the hardest one to follow. It's going to be tempting to stay the night, but getting out of there unnoticed when people are waking up is a nightmare. Two, make sure you're always on good terms with the other girls in the dorm. That way, if you do get caught, no one will be rushing off to blab to the nearest professor."

"Got it," Scorpius said, nodding. "And the third?"

"Don't get my cousin up the duff."

Scorpius grimaced.

"Yeah… she, er-" he stumbled. "Rose takes the potion, so you don't have to worry."

"I figured she would," James acknowledged, chuckling at Scorpius' discomfort. "She may cause more harmless mayhem than the rest of us put together, but she's still got that responsible streak that keeps her out of any real trouble."

"She's amazing," Scorpius said softly.

"That she is," James agreed. "As long as you remember that, everything will be just fine."

Meanwhile, Al had stripped off his practice gear and indulged in a very hot shower before pulling on clean trousers. He was standing in front of his locker, stuffing his dirty clothes into a bag and examining a torn seam in his kit when he heard a gasp and a scuffling noise behind him. As the rest of the team had already returned to the common room, Al turned sharply, his hand instinctively reaching for his wand as he looked for the source of the noise.

"Who's there?"

"I'm sorry!" a feminine voice squeaked. Slowly, holding her hands out in a defensive posture, a petite blonde stepped out from around a corner. Al immediately relaxed and let his wand slide back into his pocket.

"Alice?" he asked, relieved. "Merlin, I'm sorry. You startled me. What are you doing down here?"

"Well, er, I…" she mumbled, her eyes seemingly unable to look directly at him. "I heard you had quidditch practice this evening and, er, I thought that maybe, you know, we could…go for a fly. Or something. Afterward."

"Yeah, that'd be great. It's getting awfully close to curfew, though," Al reasoned. "Might be better if we make it tomorrow instead."

"Right, okay," she answered, nodding. "That sounds good."

"Alice, is something wrong?" Al watched her curiously. She still refused to look at him and her cheeks were flushed a deep rosy pink.

"No, everything's fine," she insisted. "I just, er…I didn't expect, when I walked in, and, er…you're, um-" she gestured vaguely in his direction. Al looked down at his bare chest.

"Not wearing a shirt?" he asked, doing his best not to smirk. Alice nodded. "I can put one on if you'd like."

For a moment, she stood frozen, eyes fixed on the wall to his left. Then, chewing her lip, she gave a miniscule shake of her head. Al grinned.

"Come here," he said softly, taking a step toward her. She complied, still not meeting his gaze. When she was within reach, he slowly and very gently placed his fingers beneath her jaw and tilted her head upward. He took another step forward and dipped his head to place a feather-light kiss against her lips.

Alice's hands came up and reached for his shoulders. When her fingertips met bare skin, she hesitated. Then, seeming to steel herself, she grasped him and pulled him firmly toward her, crushing her lips against his.

Al made a noise of appreciation as Alice wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against him. He placed his hands on her waist and parted his lips, sliding his tongue along her bottom one. She opened her mouth, melting into him as they snogged.

"Merlin, you're fit," Alice breathed once they'd parted and she took a small step backward. Having gotten over her initial shyness, she now seemed unable to tear her eyes away from his bare torso. Her fingers trailed tentatively from his shoulders down his chest, tracing the lines of definition as she went. Al closed his eyes and tried very hard not to groan in pleasure.

"Alice," he whispered, not trusting his voice. "We should probably go back in. We don't want to be out after curfew."

"Why not?" she asked teasingly. "It wouldn't be the first time." This time Al did groan.

"Sweet Circe, woman, you have no idea what you're doing to me right now," he muttered. She giggled in response but pulled her hands away, giving him space to get his breathing under control while turning back to his locker and pulling a tshirt over his head. Then he grabbed his bag, took Alice by the hand, and led her from the changing room back toward the castle.

"You must think I'm mad," Alice said quietly as they walked toward the Hufflepuff common room. "Blushing like some innocent little thing one minute and practically trying to jump you the next."

"No, not mad," Al answered, laughing softly. "Surprising, sometimes, but in a good way."

"Really?" she asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah," he assured her. "Look, you're shy, which is sweet and kind of cute." Alice made a face, causing him to chuckle. "But I like that you don't let your shyness keep you from doing things. If you really want something, you go after it, even if it terrifies you." He stopped walking and turned to face her. "I think you've got more Gryffindor in you than you realize," he finished softly. Alice looked him in the eyes, a multitude of emotions flickering across her features in the few moments before she pulled him close and snogged him as if her life depended on it.

"Goodnight," she whispered against his lips as they broke apart. Leaving him slightly dazed, she turned and walked toward the barrels that were stacked against the corridor wall, pulling out her wand as she went.

Al returned to Gryffindor tower and went immediately to his dorm. He threw his bag of dirty clothes onto his trunk, fell into bed, and snapped his curtains shut, so intent on his destination that he completely failed to notice that Scorpius' bed lay empty.


	32. Girls

Rose awoke slowly, gradually becoming conscious of the comfortable bed she was laying in, the warmth of her blankets, the red glow of sunlight streaming through her bed curtains, and the lingering smell of Scorpius on her pillow.

Then she remembered.

Her eyes flew open, taking in her surroundings. She was alone, of course. Scorpius had left the night before, kissing her sweetly as sleep began to claim her and then slipping through the curtains and out the window. She'd been shocked at first, when he'd slid silently into her bed and cast a muffling charm around them, but it hadn't taken him long to make her forget any reservations she might have had.

She sat up, pushing a hand through her wild ginger hair, and reached beneath the covers to retrieve her pajamas from where they'd been kicked out of the way during the night. After pulling them on, she pushed her bed curtains aside and headed for the showers.

Violet was coming out as she entered.

"Good morning, Rose," she greeted her with a mischievous look. "Good night?" Rose narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nice try, but you forgot the Muffliato," Violet countered with a wicked grin.

"We did not!" Rose exclaimed, blushing as she realized her mistake. "I watched Scorpius cast it."

"Well, next time, you should cast it, because Scorpius' muffling charms are rubbish," Violet teased. "But from the sound of things, he's not rubbish at anything else." Rose's face burned crimson with embarrassment.

"Do you think anyone else heard?"

"I doubt it. The twins both sleep like the dead and Emma wasn't in the dorm last night."

"Well, I got an eyeful and you got an earful, so I'd say we're even," Rose retorted with a smirk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to shower."

Rose reached in and turned the tap to hot before stripping down and stepping into the shower. The water felt marvelous as she stepped into the spray. She took a minute to savor the soothing warmth before grabbing her shampoo bottle and pouring a measure into her palm. When her hair was well lathered, she stepped back into the spray.

Then she screamed and jumped immediately back out.

"Is everything okay?" Violet called.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rose answered. "The water went cold." She reached out and fiddled with the tap, trying to turn it back to the near-scalding temperature she preferred. After a moment, it seemed to work and she began to rinse her hair.

Until she was doused in icy water once more.

Rose swore loudly as she attempted to adjust the temperature again. This time, keeping her body mostly out of the spray, she succeeded in rinsing the remaining shampoo from her hair as the water fluctuated between hot and cold. She then shut the water off before grabbing her wand and performing a series of cleaning spells on herself.

"It's not ideal, but it'll do," she muttered as she wrapped a towel around herself and reached for her hair potion.

Clean and dressed, Rose made her way to the ground floor and was almost to the Great Hall when someone called her name.

"Rose! Wait a mo!"

The redhead turned to see Alice emerging from the staircase that led down to the kitchens and the Hufflepuff common room. She stepped aside to let others file in for breakfast while she waited for her friend.

"I was wondering if we might have a talk," Alice asked softly. "Just us girls, you know?"

"Yeah, sure," Rose answered. "Do you mind if I grab something from in here and then we'll take a walk on the grounds?" Alice nodded and followed as she walked to the Gryffindor table.

The boys had not yet made an appearance, so the girls grabbed a couple of slices of toast apiece and left without being questioned. As they passed through the oak front doors and turned toward the lake, Rose gave her friend a bit of a nudge.

"So what is this all about?"

"Alright," Alice seemed to struggle to find words. "You and Scorpius love each other, right? Seriously, you're in love and it's the real thing?"

"Yes," Rose answered, wondering where this was going.

"How do you know?"

Rose was startled into silence for several moments while she considered her answer.

"Er… I just do. It's hard to explain. I guess Scor and I are kind of a crap example, though, because we've been best friends since first year, so I loved him as a friend before I was ever attracted to him. By the time we started dating, he was already going to be a permanent part of my life. We sort of skipped that early dating phase altogether."

"Right," Alice responded, looking pensive. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Rose pressed.

"Well, Al told me he loves me," Alice explained. "Weeks ago, actually, on my birthday. It was very spontaneous and I kind of panicked because the first thing that went through my mind was 'It's too soon'. I could tell I hurt his feelings and I felt terrible, but it just seemed like we couldn't possibly love each other after such a short time together."

"Well, first let me say that if Al says he loves you, he means it," Rose began. "He's just not the kind of bloke who will say something like that unless he's serious. That being said, it's okay if you need more time. He's not going anywhere."

"I know that. He's been really sweet about it," Alice continued. "It's just, last night, we…" Alice trailed off and began to blush.

"Alright, let's be clear," Rose interrupted. "I don't want any intimate details whatsoever about anything you do with my cousin. If you need that kind of advice, you really need to find a different friend."

"No!" Alice exclaimed, blushing deeply. "No, nothing like that! Although, I have to say, he looks absolutely brilliant without a shirt on-"

"Alice!" Rose scolded, laughing.

"No, seriously, though…" Alice laughed. "We were talking and he said some things that made me realize that he really knows me. I mean, he understands me, probably better than anyone else. I looked at him, and I just had this overwhelming feeling. A whole mess of feelings, actually, and I can't even describe it, but I know I've never felt anything else like that before in my life. Am I falling in love with him? Is that even possible after only two months?"

"Oh sweetie," Rose sighed. "I can't answer that for you. You're the only one who knows how you feel and you're the only one who can put a label on it. I will point out, though, that you and Al have known each other your whole lives. You haven't necessarily been as close as Scorpius and I all along, but we've all been playing together since we were in nappies. There's a lot more to your relationship than just two months."

"I suppose that's true," Alice agreed. "I was hoping for a more definitive answer, though."

"Go find a Ravenclaw," Rose joked.

"But I don't have any good friends who are in Ravenclaw!" Alice laughed. "You're as close as it gets!"

"Fine," Rose laughed. "You want definite? Some people say that loving someone means that you care more about that person than yourself. So… would you spend a whole day doing something really awful and boring if you knew it would make Al deliriously happy?"

"Yeah, probably," Alice replied, a small smile creeping across her features.

"Would you get rid of one of your favorite plants if he was allergic to it?"

"Sure."

"Would you jump in front of a curse to protect him?"

"Of course," Alice answered automatically. There was a moment of silence before Alice clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Rose only beamed.


	33. Remembrance Day

Scorpius awoke on the first of May feeling as if he'd hardly slept. Al's concerns had turned out to be prophetic and with only a week before the final quidditch match and a month until exams, they had been spending nearly all of their free time either practicing or revising. At night, Scorpius dreamt of homework more often than not. Were it not for the nighttime visits he made to Rose's dorm two or three times a week, he would hardly be spending any time with his girlfriend that wasn't dedicated to schoolwork.

He dragged himself from his bed and toward the showers in the hope that the hot water would help to wash away some of his fatigue.

When he arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast, he found Rose reading the Daily Prophet, her eyes slightly moist and a wistful look on her face.

"Rose, what's wrong?" he asked softly, sitting down beside her. She handed him the paper, still folded to the front page, which he began to read.

_How Far We've Come_

_By Ginny Potter _

_Tomorrow marks the twenty fifth anniversary of both the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the Second Wizarding War. This is an emotional time for many families, including ours. In some ways, the war seems like a lifetime ago, another world that no longer exists. In other ways, it feels like only yesterday and I can't help but wonder where the time has gone._

_My brother Fred was one of the more than fifty people who died in the battle and his loss is still felt keenly by our family to this day. I know that we are not alone in our sense of grief during this time and my husband and I would like to extend our sympathies to all of those who are mourning the loss of friends and loved ones._

_In the spirit of my brother's memory, however, I am choosing not to focus on the sadness of this occasion. Instead, I intend to celebrate the victory of that day and concentrate on everything that was made possible by the sacrifices of those we lost._

_A great man once said that the ones who love us never truly leave us. I can often hear my brother in my sons' voices and I see him in my daughter's smile. Every time something makes me laugh so hard that tears stream down my face, I feel his presence. Knowing that our children have inherited a world that is brighter and more full of promise, less inhibited by prejudice and mistrust, brings me more joy than words can truly express. My children, nieces and nephews, and the children of my dearest friends have grown up free of the shadow of hatred and fear that hung so heavily over our own youth and for that, I am infinitely grateful._

_We must look back. That is without question. We must remember, so that those who we lost will not be forgotten and that the price they paid will never be devalued. But let us also look forward. Let us celebrate what we have won and continue to build the world that we would most want to live in._

_Harry and I, as well as the rest of our family, will take part in a Remembrance Day ceremony on the grounds of Hogwarts School tomorrow morning at dawn. We welcome anyone who wishes to join us, but we do ask that everyone respects the solemnity of the occasion as well as our personal space._

"My mum obviously wrote that," Rose said with a small smile. "Aunt Ginny is a sports writer, so her style is much more succinct. When the paper asked her to do a piece for Remembrance Day, she'd have asked Mum to help her make it sound more eloquent."

"It's beautiful," Scorpius muttered, putting a comforting arm around Rose. "Is it heartless of me to just be glad that we don't have classes tomorrow?" Rose made a soft snorting sound.

"No, not really," she laughed softly. "Remembrance Day always makes me sad, but it's the kind of feeling you get when you read a sad book. Uncle Fred died before I was born, so I can hardly miss what I never had."

"I suppose that's true," Scorpius agreed. "Unless you count Teddy's mum, the only ones in my family who died were on the wrong side and we're well shot of them." Rose gave her boyfriend a sympathetic look.

Classes that day seemed to offer a brief reprieve from the intensity of recent weeks. It was the habit of Hogwarts teachers to forgo homework assignments for Remembrance Day, so the students took the opportunity to either catch up on the alarming pile of homework that they'd already amassed or simply relax.

"Dad says the crowd tomorrow morning is going to be massive," Alice conveyed as she sat in the library that evening with Rose, Scorpius, and Al. "With it being the twenty-fifth year and the announcement that your Dad will be there, the Headmaster is expecting most of wizarding Britain to show up."

"Isn't that awfully risky?" Scorpius wondered. "Having that many people milling around the grounds seems like a security nightmare."

"Well, no one who isn't a current student or an employee can enter the castle itself without invitation by the Headmaster," Rose explained. "That was one of the security measures that was added after the war. I'm sure that the MLE will have officials patrolling the grounds to make sure that everything stays in order as well."

"You lot realize that sunrise is at 5:31 tomorrow morning, right?" Al groaned.

"Oh! That reminds me," Alice exclaimed, digging into her bag. She pulled her hand out with three small bottles and handed one to each of her friends. "Wideye potion. One twelve hour dosage. Drink that when you get up tomorrow."

"Do you keep a stash of this stuff?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

"No!" Alice answered indignantly, a blush creeping across her features. "It's just a very simple potion that occasionally comes in very handy."

"You should run your own apothecary, you know that?" Rose suggested as she stowed the bottle in her bag. Alice only shrugged.

The next morning, Rose awoke and dressed in darkness, swallowing the contents of the bottle that Alice had given her before descending the stairs to the common room. She found Al, uncharacteristically alert, standing next to the fire.

"Where's Scor?" she asked her cousin.

"Still dressing," Al answered. "He'll be down in a mo'."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Al assured her. "It's just weird to think about, you know? Dad and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione fighting in the war when they were our age. Dad doesn't talk about it much, but Uncle Ron told me once that he walked into the forest that night expecting to die. He was willing to sacrifice himself to protect my mum and everyone else."

"You'd do the same," Rose teased.

"Yeah, I would," Al agreed, looking up suddenly. "I know what it's like to love someone so much that you'd do anything to protect them. I just wish she felt the same."

Rose grimaced. Her heart went out to her cousin and she wanted very much to erase his sadness, but she also knew that it was not her place to intervene. Alice would express her own feelings in her own time.

When Scorpius joined them, they left the common room and made their way out onto the grounds, where hundreds of witches and wizards were already milling about, greeting friends and sharing memories. They found Alice standing with her parents and Hagrid near Dumbledore's tomb. Rose's parents arrived moments later and a buzz started to run through the crowd as Harry and Ginny Potter walked across the grounds.

The sky was gradually lightening as students continued to file out of the school and visitors marched up the road from Hogsmeade. When it seemed as if the grounds of Hogwarts could not possibly hold another individual, a herd of centaurs appeared at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, standing at attention among the trees. The next minute, sunlight burst over the edge of the horizon and an unearthly hush fell over the grounds. For one full minute, no one made a sound.

At the end of the minute, Harry slowly raised his wand into the air and sent up a shower of silver sparks. The crowd answered, sending up sparks in silver as well as gold, red, blue, green, and purple. Harry then conjured a wreath of lilies and laid it at the foot of the immense obelisk that held the names of those killed in the wars.

As the crowd began to stir, many moving forward to lay their own wreaths at the memorial, Harry removed a small bag of little yellow spheres from his pocket and set it atop the tomb before walking toward the forest to greet a grey-haired centaur at the center of the herd.

Rose attempted to stay near her parents and aunt but the crowd shifted and jostled them until she and Scorpius stood alone in a sea of strangers. Suddenly a thin, grey-haired woman appeared in front of them, glaring at Scorpius.

"I know who you are," she spat bitterly. "You don't belong here."

Scorpius only stood stoically silent while Rose turned red with rage. Before she could unleash her fury, however, a voice spoke from behind her.

"Do you know who I am?"

The woman looked up, her features shifting from derision to shock. She didn't speak, but only nodded.

"Well, he's my best mate, and I say he does belong here. If you don't like it, maybe you want to take it up with my Dad."

The woman's face fell and she shuffled away into the crowd without a backward glance. Al took Rose by the shoulders and gestured to Scorpius to follow.

"Mum said that they'd meet us inside the castle. Most people won't be able to get in there, so we can escape the crowd that way," Al explained as they walked.

"I can't believe the nerve of that-" Rose continued with a number of colorful but unfavorable descriptions, most of which were unfortunately overheard by her parents as they stepped through the castle's front doors.

"Rose Weasley!" Hermione scolded. "Ronald!"

"What'd I do?" the redheaded man asked indignantly.

"You're the one who taught her to talk like that!" Hermione answered irritably. Ginny covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

Just then, Neville and Hannah walked in, followed by Alice, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. Al darted forward, taking her in his arms to comfort her.

"I love you!" she burst out, pulling away to look into his face. "I've been waiting for the right moment to tell you, but I was out there just now and thinking about all those people who died and how some of them maybe didn't get the chance to say it because they waited too long and I knew I just couldn't wait another min-"

She was cut off as Al pulled her into a tight embrace and covered her lips with his own.


	34. Unraveled

"Playing for Gryffindor, we have Potter, Malfoy, Creevey, Williams, Weasley, Weasley, and Potter!"

The red-clad quidditch team flew out over the pitch and made a lap before landing to square off against their opponents in blue. Despite the inevitable early season grumblings of nepotism, the Gryffindors cheered their team with ardent enthusiasm. They'd gone undefeated so far and while Ravenclaw had won all of their games as well, Gryffindor had achieved far larger point margins. It was widely believed that the Quidditch Cup was guaranteed to remain in Professor Longbottom's office for another year.

Rose, Lily, and Violet were joined in the stands by Alice, who had borrowed a red and gold t-shirt for the occasion. They cheered as Roxanne and Hugo tapped their beaters' bats together, a ritual that had begun when Roxanne had started playing beater alongside her brother, Fred. James shook hands with the Ravenclaw captain and fourteen players rose into the air.

As James took his position in front of the hoops and Al rose far into the air in order to look down over the game from above, Scorpius took control of the quaffle and began weaving around other players, flying toward the Ravenclaw goal.

"Malfoy with the quaffle, moving in quickly, he shoots…and it's blocked by MacDougal. Perry takes the pass, dodges Williams…ouch! He drops the quaffle after a bludger to the shoulder by Roxanne Weasley. Deadly aim that girl has…Williams recovers, passes to Malfoy…"

The commentary continued as the two teams fought for control of the red leather ball. After several minutes, Colleen Creevey, a startlingly small but extremely speedy fifth year, scored Gryffindor's first goal. The crowd cheered, too exultant to notice that the Ravenclaw seeker had stopped in mid-air and seemed to be examining his sleeve.

"Perry with the quaffle, passes to – nope, intercepted by Malfoy, he shoots…another ten for Gryffindor. Wait, is that-? Yes! Cooper has the snitch! Ravenclaw has the snitch! Ravenclaw wins one hundred and fifty to twenty!"

There was a moment of disbelieving silence before the blue half of the crowd went absolutely bonkers. Chaos reigned in the stands and on the field as everyone tried to make sense of a game that had lasted less than a quarter of an hour and left the favorites to win defeated by one hundred and thirty points.

"I can't believe we lost," James droned for the sixth or seventh time that afternoon as they sat around the fire in the common room. "How did we lose?"

"We lost because that tarty little snitch threw itself at Cooper before we'd had a chance to get a decent number of points on the board," Al grumbled. Alice, who had tagged along to the Gryffindor common room with no one's objection, made a soft sympathetic noise as she snuggled closer to her boyfriend's side. "He didn't even have to chase it. It flew right up his bloody sleeve!"

"All that extra training with Williams and it didn't make a bit of difference," James lamented. "All the tactics discussions with Scor, all for nothing."

"Where is Scorpius?" Lily asked suddenly.

"He was heading into the shower when I left," Hugo answered. "I assume he's still there. Probably trying to drown himself. He feels badly for missing that first goal."

"Yeah, because ten more points really would have made such a difference," Roxanne observed sarcastically. "Where's Rose then?"

"She said something about trying to cheer Scorpius up," Alice answered reflexively.

This pronouncement was met with absolute silence, causing Alice to look up from where her hand was intertwined with Al's. James and Violet were both smirking, Lily's eyebrows had disappeared beneath her fringe, Roxanne was biting her lip and laughing silently, while Hugo looked faintly nauseas and Al had a hand across his eyes and was shaking his head slowly.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed as she realized the implications of her statement. "I don't think…Well, maybe it's not…Oh, bugger. I probably wasn't supposed to tell you all that." Her face blushed pink as she covered her face with her hands.

Roxanne gave into her laughter just as Rose stormed into the common room, Scorpius on her heels. Instead of the Gryffindor t-shirt and jeans she had been wearing at the game, she was dressed in a simple white dress, the fabric of which was suspiciously similar to a Hogwarts towel.

"Don't ask," she commanded as the assembled group turned to stare at her. She stalked across the room and disappeared up the girls' staircase. The other girls scrambled to follow her.

As the boys turned to look at Scorpius, he held his hands up in front of him. "No, really, don't ask," he echoed, looking Al square in the eye as he spoke. The black-haired boy winced and covered his face with his hand once more.

"In the showers, mate?" James chuckled, the only one who didn't seem horrified at the situation. "That's impressive."

"I am not talking about this," Scorpius insisted, throwing himself down on the couch next to James. Hugo silently got up and left the common room, shaking his head as he went.

Upstairs in her dorm, Rose was pulling fresh clothing out of her trunk and trying to ignore the bevy of girls who were throwing questions at her in rapid fire succession.

"Where were you two doing?"

"I think that's fairly obvious. Were you really in the changing room showers?"

"What happened to your clothes?"

"Did you transfigure a towel?"

"Enough!" Rose groaned, dropping onto her bed once she was properly dressed again. "I laid my clothes on a bench. When I went back for them, they were gone. There was water everywhere so we couldn't see any footprints or anything. I don't know whether they were stolen or vanished or if the damn house-elves just assumed they were dirty and took them for cleaning."

"You've had really rubbish luck with water this term, haven't you?" Lily observed. Rose's head snapped up as she stared at her cousin.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the thing with the lake a couple of months ago, and your hair potion right before Valentine's Day," Lily explained. "Bad things seem to happen to you when you're near water."

"Your shower earlier this week," Violet added. "How often does the water go cold in a Hogwarts shower? That's not exactly normal."

Rose's eyes were wide and she seemed to be calculating in her head. As the pieces clicked into place, her eyes grew wider and her face turned red with fury.

"Oh, Merlin, how did I not realize," she breathed, jumping to her feet. "That bitch!" With that, she stormed out of the dorm and down the stairs.

When the girls, led by Rose, ran across the common room and out the portrait hole, Scorpius, Al, and James looked at each other in confusion before jumping up to follow along.

Rose led her entourage down five floors before storming through a little-used corridor and slamming open a door with enough force to send the faded "Out of Order" sign crashing to the floor.

"MYRTLE!" Rose bellowed. "Get your transparent arse out here you expired cow!"

"There's no reason to be so rude," came a whimpering voice as the ghost of a pudgy, pimply adolescent girl floated into view. She stared at them all through her large ghostly glasses, pearly tears streaming down her insubstantial face.

"Oh I have every reason," Rose countered aggressively. "It's been you all along, hasn't it? You put that juice in my hair potion, you made my shower go cold, you drenched Scorpius and I down by the Black Lake, you stole my clothes, and you sabotaged my potion."

"Wait a second, Rose," Alice interrupted. "Some of that doesn't make sense. Myrtle's a ghost, so she can't really move things. She can only splash water around. I can see how she could've done some of that, but how would she have poured the juice in the hair potion? How did she move your clothes?"

"I told Peeves to do it," Myrtle answered remorselessly. "He doesn't like me very much, but he does like making people look stupid. He'll go along with anything as long as it causes chaos."

"Do you mind explaining why you hate me all of a sudden?" Rose demanded. "Why would you put so much effort into trying to drive me insane?"

"Because it's not fair!" Myrtle wailed miserably. "They used to come to see me! They used to care. He visited me when he needed help." The ghostly girl turned to look at Al as she spoke. "I helped him. I let him and his friends use my bathroom for their potion. I told him about the Basilisk, and gave him clues during the tournament. But did he come back and say 'thank you'? Did he even stop by to say 'hello'? No! He just left and moved on when he didn't need my help anymore."

"Oh bollocks," Al muttered, a look of horror spreading across his face.

"Then he came," Myrtle continued, turning toward Scorpius. "He spent time with me. He confided in me, told me he was afraid to die. I comforted him, let him cry and didn't tell anyone. I kept his secrets, but he couldn't even come to say goodbye. He just left and never visited me again."

"What is this barmy ghost on about?" Scorpius asked in confusion as James began to chortle.

"She's talking about our Dads," Al explained softly. Scorpius threw Al an expression of mortification and disbelief.

"Now the only time anyone visits my bathroom is to snog their pretty, living girlfriends in the middle of the night," Myrtle whined. "I saw him come in and for a second I thought, 'He's come back, he hasn't forgotten me,' but then I saw you and then I knew. I've seen what you've been doing. I know what you get up to. You deserve to be embarrassed. You deserve everything I've done and more."

"No, she doesn't," Violet said firmly, stepping between Myrtle and a rapidly purpling Rose. "You were just a girl, Myrtle. Now you're stuck as a girl forever. You never got to grow up and that's not fair. But Rose is a woman, and your jealously of her is not her fault. She hasn't done anything to you and she doesn't deserve you picking on her."

"Can't stop me, though, can she?" Myrtle taunted. "What is she going to do about it?"

"I can tell Uncle Harry," Rose blurted. "You fancy him so much, Myrtle, how would you like him knowing how you've been acting all term? What would he think if he knew you were behaving like a jealous bint and treating his niece so badly?"

Myrtle's translucent face began to flush pearly white before she let out a tremendous howl and flew back into her toilet with an almighty splash.

"Okay then," Scorpius remarked, pulling Rose close to him. "At least that mystery is solved. Do you think she'll stay away from now on?"

"Yeah, I think so. Just so we're clear," Rose said, looking around at the assembled students. "None of this ever happened."


	35. Sweet Fifteen

Lily awoke on the morning of her fifteenth birthday and was immediately on her guard. She knew that whatever Rose and James had cooked up for her this year, it would be expertly disguised and she was determined to sniff out the prank before falling into it for once. She sat up gingerly and eyed the stack of presents at the foot of her bed with suspicion. Opening each one slowly, she found no edibles and nothing else that seemed amiss. Mildly confused, she got out of bed and headed for the showers.

She was fully dressed and walking through the common room before anything out of the ordinary happened. The absurd and surprisingly painful idea that her family had decided to forgo her birthday prank this year had just crossed her mind when Sean Jordan, an attractive seventh year who often hung around with James, suddenly jumped up from the chair where he'd been sitting and fell into step beside her.

"Good morning, Lily," he greeted her. "Are you going down to breakfast?"

"Yeah," Lily answered, slightly startled.

"Is it alright if I join you?"

"Er, I guess so," she said, looking at him strangely. Although Sean was her brother's dormmate and occasionally came around during the hols, she couldn't honestly remember him ever speaking to her directly, much less going out of his way to spend time with her.

"Shame about the quidditch game," Sean continued as if walking to breakfast and talking with her was completely ordinary. "I thought Gryffindor was going to take the cup for sure. Why didn't you play, though? James never said."

"I…well, er," Lily stammered, blushing pink. "I got in trouble and my mum took my broom away until the end of the school year."

"Really? I never took you for a troublemaker," Sean laughed. "What mischief did you get up to?"

"Nothing very exciting, I'm afraid," Lily confessed. "Just skiving off a bunch of classes. I get bored too easily."

"Fascinating," Sean murmured with a smile, turning to face her. Lily stared, wide-eyed with confusion as he moved gradually closer. His warm brown eyes flicked between her own hazel ones and her lips as he leaned forward. Lily mentally panicked as she realized what was about to happen, trying desperately to decide whether or not she should allow him to kiss her.

"Lily!"

Sean jumped back and Lily felt simultaneously relieved and disappointed. She turned to see Violet Finnegan's younger brother, Liam, running down the corridor toward them.

"Hey, I'm glad I caught you," Liam said breathlessly as he stopped between her and Sean, his back toward the older boy. "I was wondering if you might be able to help me with transfiguration? I'm having a bit of trouble and James said you were pretty much aces at every subject."

"Oh! Er, I guess so," Lily stumbled, becoming more and more confused by the minute. "Would you like the meet me in the library after classes are over today?"

"Yes!" Liam agreed happily. "That would be great, Lily. Hey, can I walk down to breakfast with you?"

"Well, I was already walking with-," Lily trailed off as she realized that Sean had disappeared while she was talking to Liam and was no longer in the corridor with them. "Huh, that was weird."

"What was weird?" Liam asked, seemingly unaware that there had even been anyone else in the corridor, much less that he seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Nothing," Lily answered, shrugging it off. "Let's go and get something to eat."

By the time she entered the Great Hall, however, Lily was well past shrugging anything off. Liam had begun to openly flirt with her almost the moment that they had started walking, causing her no small amount of embarrassment. She tried a couple of excuses to politely rid herself of him before desperately ducking into a concealed passageway while he wasn't looking. She had only just emerged at the other end and breathed a sigh of relief when a sixth-year Ravenclaw boy who frequently hung around with Molly appeared and abruptly asked her to Hogsmeade. She turned him down as graciously as she could manage before storming downstairs to find her cousins.

"What in the name of Merlin's pants have you done?" she demanded, slamming her hands down on the table across from Rose, who was eating breakfast with Violet and Roxanne.

"Good morning, Lily," Rose greeted mildly, ignoring the question. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks. Now please explain why three random blokes practically threw themselves at me before I could make it from my dorm to breakfast!"

"Random?" Rose exclaimed, looking affronted. "I spent three hours working on that list. There's nothing random about it. They've all been carefully selected."

"List? Aaaarrgh!" Lily growled in frustration. "What are you on about? Explain this, Rose, or I swear I'll hex you!"

"Fine," Rose sighed, gesturing for Lily to sit down. "I stole one of your hairs at the quidditch match. I added it to a very mild love potion that I procured from Uncle George. Then my accomplices and I distributed said potion to fifteen carefully selected boys."

"Fifteen?" Lily asked faintly, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

"They're all fourth year or above, none of them is family, but they are all in some way connected to our group," Rose continued. "That way, we're confident that each one has a good sense of humor and won't mind being made part of the prank."

"Are you insane?" Lily demanded. "How on earth did you get James to agree to this?"

"Yeah, that surprised me too," Rose admitted. "I thought either he or Al would shut it down but they both went along with it. Just goes to show that nothing is sacred when it comes to pranking in this family."

"Al was in on it too?" Lily groaned. "This is a nightmare!"

"Oh, relax," Rose placated. "I already said it was a very mild love potion. It triggers a perfectly run-of-the-mill crush for ten to twelve hours. No obsession, no jealousy, none of those nasty side effects."

"That's not what's got her wand in a knot," Roxanne observed quietly. "She's not just embarrassed and annoyed. She's disappointed. I think someone flirted with her this morning who she fancies and she's upset that it's just the potion that made him do it."

Both Rose and Violet's eyes snapped to Lily, who was blushing brilliantly under Roxanne's scrutiny.

"Who?!" Rose demanded in a whisper. Lily only scowled, covering her face with her hands. After a moment, she felt someone gently wrap a hand around her wrist.

"It's your fifteenth birthday Lily," Violet said softly, grinning as the redhead took her hands away from her face. "I say, go for it. Maybe he really does fancy you. If he doesn't, he'll just blame it on the potion and pretend it never happened. Either way, you get to snog a fit bloke on your birthday and that's not so bad, is it?"

Lily found herself smiling despite her irritation.

"You are a menace, Rose Weasley," she said, narrowing her eyes at her cousin. "I can't believe I'm going to spend my entire birthday ducking through hidden corridors to avoid being asked out."

"Funnily enough," Roxanne offered with a smirk. "There was a story my dad told me about your dad doing pretty much the same thing, only there was no potion involved. Apparently half the girls in school fancied him at one point or another." Lily made a thoroughly disgusted face, causing the other three to laugh.

"That was my inspiration," Rose admitted. "Both Dad and Uncle George thought it was a riot watching Uncle Harry being cornered by smitten girls everywhere he went. I think I'm going to find it equally amusing."

Lily glared at her cousin once more only to give a horrified look over Rose's shoulder as she noticed Hugo's best mate, David, approaching with a rather soppy look on his face. Lily grabbed a piece of toast and a couple rashers of bacon as she jumped up from her seat.

"Dammit," she swore. "Violet, tell your brother that something came up and I can't meet him today but if he still wants me to tutor him tomorrow I'll see him at four in the library!" The three other girls cried with laughter as Lily ducked behind a passing Hufflepuff and darted toward the doors, trying to stuff her breakfast in her mouth as she went.


	36. Fantasy

"That's it, my brain is full," Scorpius sighed, closing the book in front of him and laying down his quill. "Nothing else is going to fit."

"Very funny, Scor," Rose replied irritably, scratching away at her parchment. "Exams are only a few weeks away."

"Exactly," he countered, grabbing her hand and forcing her to cease her scribbling. "Exams, not OWLS, not NEWTS. Just regular, ordinary, Hogwarts exams. All we have to do is pass them. We've got all of next year to make ourselves barmy trying to achieve the highest possible marks. So this year, how about we relax a bit?"

Rose sighed and laid down her quill. He had a point, of course, and she was already receiving top marks in every class she took. There was no need to descend into the realm of manic revising where she had existed for most of the previous year. Her tendency to take her studies seriously to the point of anxiety was an unfortunate habit that had been inherited from her mother and it was a lucky thing that Scorpius had such a calming effect on her or she might have driven herself insane years ago.

"You just want an excuse not to finish your potions essay tonight," she teased, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of swaying her so easily.

"True," he conceded. "But it's not due for two more days, so I still have time. Besides, you've been doing that thing again where you chew on your lip while you concentrate and it's very distracting." He leaned closer, nuzzling her jawline as he continued in a whisper. "I can't focus on the properties of aconite when I keep thinking about sneaking away into a quiet corner and snogging you senseless."

Rose could not deny the hitch in her breathing or the shiver that ran through her at his suggestion. While Scorpius' nighttime visits to her dorm had allowed them an increased level of regular intimacy, they had all but stopped making use of Hogwarts' various hideaways during the day and it had been some time since they had just simply snogged. As the idea took hold of her, a slow smile spread across her face and she glanced around shiftily, checking to see if anyone was looking before grabbing Scorpius' hand and practically dragging him away from the table toward the back of the library.

They rounded a corner at the end of an isle and Scorpius pressed Rose back against the end of the bookshelf, leaning into her body with his own. He lowered his head, pausing briefly with their lips only millimeters apart before engaging her in a dizzying kiss. Rose stifled a moan as he swept his tongue over hers before sucking on the bottom lip that she'd so recently been biting. She slid her fingers into his hair, loving the silkiness of it, and moved her mouth against his hungrily.

After several very enjoyable minutes, their kisses slowed and softened until they were simply holding each other, Scorpius' face resting against Rose's shoulder, their arms encircling each other's bodies.

"I'm going to spend some time at the Manor this summer," Scorpius said softly into Rose's neck.

"Oh," Rose answered, thankful that their position made it somewhat easier for her to cover her disappointment and confusion. Scorpius had spent nearly every summer and holiday at the Potters' since their second year of school. The only times he had gone home to visit his own family were on those occasions when his mother had insisted he do so.

"I want you to come with me."

Rose's eyes widened as he straightened and looked at her.

"My father and I don't get along, but he's still my father and I'll have to accept that at some point," Scorpius explained quietly. "My mother's actually quite lovely though. She's been incredibly patient and forgiving all these years that I've stayed away, and I feel like I owe it to her to come home one last time before I finish school and move out on my own. Most of all, though, I want them to meet you. I mean, I know you've met them, but properly. I want them to get to know you. I want them to understand how much you mean to me."

Speechless, Rose only nodded, pulling him back in for another kiss. This time it was slow and tender, filled with unspoken emotion. The significance of what Scorpius had asked of her was not lost on either of them and while Rose knew that her parents would not be pleased about her spending part of her summer at Malfoy Manor, there was no questioning that she would do it anyway.

"Of course I'll come with you," Rose answered as they broke apart. "When were you planning to go?"

"I'll have to write my Mum and see what their plans are," Scorpius answered. "I'll warn you, she's likely to go completely bonkers. The fact that I'm voluntarily coming home in the first place will put her over the moon, but when I tell her I'm bringing you as well…" he trailed off, cringing.

"Well, you've been witness to all of my family's embarrassing behavior over the years," Rose teased. "It's only fair that I get to do the same." She smiled brightly as she took his hand in her own, nodding her head in the direction of the table they'd previously been working at. "Come on, lets go gather up our things and get out of here. It's got to be nearly dinnertime."

"So how has Lily been enjoying her birthday?" Scorpius asked as they walked through the corridors toward the Great Hall. Rose laughed.

"At last count she'd been asked out eight different times and I heard that she told off a third year who thought she should be thrilled at being the object of so much attention," Rose relayed. "Neville had to break up a small skirmish in Herbology when about six boys tried to help her with her bubotuber all at once and Hugo says she's been holed up in her dorm since her last class and is refusing to come down until tomorrow morning."

"Wow, I actually kind of feel bad now," Scorpius said, chuckling nevertheless. "I didn't think she'd end up spending her birthday hiding from everyone. Maybe we should take her something to eat."

"Softie," Rose accused, throwing him a mock glare as she looped her arms through his.

Rose agreed, however, and after finishing their own dinner, she and Scorpius assembled a plate of food to take back to Gryffindor tower for Lily. Most students were still gathered in a Great Hall as they made their way up the seven flights of stairs to the painting of the Fat Lady.

"The chosen one," Rose said, addressing the portrait. "Honestly, who comes up with these passwords? I think every one this year has been some reference to my uncle."

"I think the current head girl is a fan," Scorpius replied, smirking. "I'm sure next year, you'll give us much more sensible passwords."

"Don't jinx me," Rose muttered. "What the-!"

Rose stopped short, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open in shock. The Gryffindor common room was deserted but for two figures who were occupying a single chair by the fire. Lily's head snapped up at the interruption, tearing her lips from those of a very dazed-looking Sean Jordan.

"So much for hiding in her dorm," Scorpius snickered.

"Lily, come upstairs with me for a minute, please," Rose said sweetly. Lily climbed reluctantly from Sean's lap. Meanwhile, Rose rummaged in her pockets, pulling a small phial of bluish liquid and handing it to Scorpius. Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head toward Sean, indicating her intention. The girls disappeared up the stairs as Scorpius sauntered across the room and laid Lily's dinner down on a side table.

"Here, mate," Scorpius said, holding out the phial. "Try a breath freshening potion."

"Good idea, thanks!" Sean replied. He tipped the contents into his mouth and swallowed, smiling cheerfully for several seconds before the antidote took effect and the grin slid off his face. Scorpius watched in amusement as the older boy's eyes widened in horror and he swore under his breath.

"Tell me I did not just snog James Potter's little sister," he whispered in shock. "He'll murder me in my sleep!"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Scorpius assured him. "All part of a very elaborate prank. He'll know you weren't responsible for your actions."

"All the same, maybe it would be better if we didn't tell him," Sean suggested, still looking shaken.

"I won't say anything if you don't," Scorpius agreed.

Upstairs, in Rose's dorm, Lily held her hands up in a defensive gesture.

"Spare me the lecture, Rose," she began. "I know exactly what I was doing."

"It's not what you were doing that I'm worried about, Lily," Rose exclaimed. "It's who you were doing it with. Sean Jordan? He's James' age, for Merlin's sake!"

"I know!" Lily answered, sitting on Rose's bed and pulling her legs up beneath her. "I know, it's ridiculous, and impossible, and completely, utterly insane. But Rose, everyone has that one crush, that one unattainable fantasy that you know will never happen but you can't help wanting it anyway. How many people get an opportunity to indulge that fantasy? Just once, for a single day, to find out what it would really be like?"

"Oh, Lily," Rose sighed, sinking down onto the bed next to her.

"I don't have any illusions," Lily continued earnestly. "I know he's way too old for me-"

"Three years isn't really that much," Rose interrupted gently.

"Not for people who are out of school, no," Lily agreed. "But I'm fifteen and Sean's eighteen. He's going to finish school next month, get a job and a flat. I still have three more years here. I know perfectly well that it would never work. I've known it forever. But like Violet said this morning, it's my fifteenth birthday. I got this one opportunity and I just couldn't pass it up." Lily shrugged.

"Well, did the experience at least live up to the fantasy?" Rose asked softly with a small smirk. Lily only closed her eyes, a huge grin spreading across her face before she fell backward onto Rose's bed, sending the older girl into a fit of giggles.

"Scorpius and I brought you some food," Rose said a few minutes later, once their laughter had subsided. "If you want to hide awhile longer, I'll go downstairs and bring it up."

"No, I'll have to show my face sooner or later," Lily groaned. "Might as well get it over with." She pulled herself up, straightening her uniform before turning to face her cousin. "Thanks for understanding."

"Well, I had my own impossible fantasy once," Rose admitted. "Then it turned out to not be impossible after all. You never know."

"Yeah, well you're one lucky girl," Lily insisted as they descended the stairs. "I hope I find my own Scorpius one day."

"You will, Cos," Rose assured her. "You absolutely will."


	37. Reality

Rose sighed as she crumpled the parchment and tossed it into the fire. She watched it catch and smolder before being consumed by the flames and quickly reducing to ash. Al glanced sideways at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Something wrong, Rosie?"

"Just another letter from Mum," she answered. "That's the third one this week. I thought I made myself clear in my response to the first one, but she insists on dragging it out. I can't be bothered to keep repeating myself."

"So they're still not chuffed about you spending part of the summer with Scor?"

"Apparently it's not Scorpius that they object to, it's the house he grew up in," Rose sighed. "It's his family and all of the history that 'makes them uncomfortable,' and I get it, I do. Neither Scorpius nor I is ignorant. We both know that a lot of bad things happened in that house. But I just don't see why they think any of that has anything to do with us, with now. It's in the past. Let it go."

"They're just worried," Al reasoned.

"About what?" Rose scoffed. "That the ghost of Voldemort is haunting their drawing room? That Scorpius' father is going to try to kill me in my sleep to keep me from sullying his pureblood heir? Honestly!"

Al laughed at that. "Well, when you put it like that, it does sound mad, but I suppose madness is probably a pretty normal reaction for parents to have when their child wants to go spend two weeks in a place where they were once held prisoner and tortured."

"See, that's just it," Rose countered. "If it were my Dad, being his normal reactionary self, I could understand it. I would still wholeheartedly disagree and refuse to listen, but I'd understand. This is my Mum, though, and she's doing the whole calm, reasonable thing. She's actually thinking about what she's saying and yet she doesn't realize that her arguments carry no weight whatsoever. She's having a completely emotional reaction and trying to pass it off as a logical debate. I think that makes me angrier than the objection itself, to be honest."

"Want me to see if Dad will talk to them?" Al offered.

"Thank you, but no," Rose replied. "As I said, I've presented my case and there's no point in continuing to argue about it. They're just going to have to accept the fact that I've already made my decision and it's not going to change."

"So basically you're playing the 'I'm seventeen and you can't stop me' card?"

"If it works, it works."

Al chuckled and returned his attention to the textbook in his lap. Rose stared into the fire for several moments before getting up and pushing through the portrait hole and out into the corridor.

She was halfway to the library when James caught up with her and pulled her into an empty classroom, an enormous grin on his face and mischief in his eyes.

"Your NEWTS start in three days, James," Rose admonished. "Shouldn't you be revising or something?"

"That's why I am here," he explained gleefully. "I need help for my final exam." He handed Rose a plastic bag full of what looked like smaller, brightly colored plastic bags.

"What on earth are you on about?"

"Fred and I are planning to take over the Hogsmeade shop, right?" James clarified. "I'll get my NEWTS, but Uncle George really isn't fussed about my test scores. What I do need to do is pull off a truly brilliant farewell prank. Something that will be talked about for years after I leave."

"Which involves balloons?" Rose asked skeptically. "You couldn't come up with something better than muggle party decorations?"

"Three words," James replied. "Balloons, Geminio, Great Hall."

"Technically that's four words," Rose teased. "But I see where you're going with this. That's actually a pretty good idea. So what do you need me for?"

"I want you to help me make them unvanishable. Without that, it's funny for thirty seconds until a professor or prefect comes along and then it's just a story that everyone tells for a couple days and it's over. But if you can't get rid of them with magic, it'll take forever to burst them all. Students will be swimming in balloons for days. Now that is a prank worth talking about."

Rose laughed.

"That's a great plan, James, I'll give you that," Rose agreed. "But if this is, as you call it, your final exam, doesn't me helping you with it constitute cheating?"

"Not in the slightest," he argued. "I don't want you to actually perform the spell, just tell me which one to use. It's as if I went and looked it up in the library, only faster."

"So basically I'm a walking, talking, textbook?" Rose asked dryly.

"Exactly!" James looked confused for a moment as Rose chucked the balloons at him and left the classroom but quickly chased after her. "No, Rosie, wait! That's not what I meant!"

"Sod off, James," she replied before ducking into a girls' lavatory.

"Rose?" Lily was perched on the edge of a sink, a book in her hand and her bag on the floor.

"Hi Lily. What are you doing? Hiding out in here?"

"Pretty much," she answered. "What about you, avoiding my brother? What's he done now?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me who you're avoiding and why," Rose replied. "Also, if we're going to hide in a loo, we may as well make the accommodations a little more inviting." She pulled her wand from her pocket and conjured two small but comfortable chairs and a little wooden table.

"I'm hiding from Sean," Lily volunteered as she moved to sit in one of the chairs. "Turns out I don't go for the daft ones. It occurred to him that while he was under the influence of a love potion on my birthday, I was not. So he wants to know why I sat in his lap and snogged him stupid."

"Oh, for heavens sake, Lily," Rose groaned. "Just tell the bloke you fancy him! What's the worst that could happen?"

"One of two things, the way I see it," the younger girl replied. "Either he fancies me back, and there'll be this potential for romance which will never be realized, or he doesn't. In the case of the latter, I just don't want to hear it said aloud."

"You can be awfully cowardly for a Gryffindor," Rose observed.

"Shut up," Lily answered. "Now what has you keeping me company in here? You said you'd tell me if I told you."

"James wants help for a prank he's planning," Rose explained. "He thinks he can use me for information instead of doing his own damn research."

"Well, in his defense," Lily reasoned. "You've been letting him do that for the past five years or so. It's understandable that he would get used to it."

"Shut up," Rose replied. Lily laughed.

"Look at us," she chuckled. "A couple of pathetic excuses for Gryffindors, hiding out in a loo to avoid a pair of seventh year boys. What would our parents say?"

"I really don't want to talk about my parents," Rose grumbled.

"Fair enough," Lily agreed. "But at least go and deal with James. You do that and I'll be honest with Sean. Like you said, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Alright then," Rose agreed. She stood and waited for Lily to do the same before vanishing the furniture and pulling open the door. James stood in the hallway, obviously waiting for Rose to emerge.

"Okay, Rose, hear me out," he began breathlessly. She held up a hand to cut him off.

"It's fine, James," she conceded. "I'll help you this time, but you have to realize that you can't keep coming to me for information forever. You'll have to start doing your own work at some point, especially since you're leaving school and I'm not."

"You're absolutely right," James agreed. "I'm sorry that I just assumed you'd help me –"

"No, it's understandable," Rose continued. "I've been helping you out for years. As Lily said, it makes sense that you'd get used to it. So let's go down to the library and I'll help you look up the spells you need."

"You're the best, Rosie," James grinned as they walked down the hallway.

Lily found Sean in the common room. He looked up as she entered and rather than avoid his gaze as she had previously been doing, she caught his eye with an embarrassed smile and gestured for him to follow her into the corridor.

"So you've finally decided to stop avoiding me?" he asked, his arms folded as he leaned against the wall, watching her closely.

"Yeah, my cousin pointed out that I'm being a crap Gryffindor about this whole thing," Lily said with a small laugh. "I couldn't let her get away with that."

"Okay," he chuckled. "So what, exactly, is 'this whole thing'?" he gestured between them.

"I fancy you," she blurted. "I've fancied you for a long time and I never thought anything would happen but then you started flirting with me on my birthday. I didn't know what was going on at first but later on I did and I took advantage of you anyway. I'm sorry for that. I know that I'm just your mate's little sister and you don't see me that way –"

"I never said that," Sean interrupted.

"What?" Lily's eyes widened and she sucked in her breath. The world seemed to stand still for a moment as they stared at each other.

"I never said I don't fancy you," he clarified in a quiet voice. "You're beautiful. Yes, you're James' sister and that makes things a bit complicated. You're also three years younger than me and that's a little awkward. But anyone with eyes can see that you're gorgeous."

_A/N: Apologies for the cliffhanger. I'll try not to leave you all hanging for too long with this one._


	38. Surprises

"You think I'm beautiful?" Lily's voice was uncharacteristically soft as she looked up at the tall, dark-skinned boy in front of her. He rolled his eyes slightly and gave her a disbelieving look in response. She bit her lip to keep from giggling but couldn't suppress the grin that stretched across her face. After a moment, though, the smile faded.

"It would never work," she sighed, more to herself than Sean.

"What wouldn't work?" he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Us," Lily explained. "If we dated, we'd have maybe three months and then I'm coming back to Hogwarts and you're not."

"So?" Sean asked with a shrug. "I mean, why not make the most of the three months and then just go our separate ways? How many people end up spending forever with someone they dated in school anyway?"

"Just everyone I'm related to," she grumbled with a sigh. Sean laughed softly.

"Well, your family is great and all," he answered. "But you can't exactly call them normal. Look, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, but I would very much enjoy spending time with you, and possibly snogging you, for the remainder of my school year and summer hols. If that sounds enjoyable to you as well, then maybe we should do that."

"Is this your way of asking me out?" Lily giggled. Sean nodded once, grinning. "And when summer's over, that's it, we just walk away?"

"No hurt feelings, no messy break-up," he explained. "We know that this thing has an expiration date and just enjoy it while it lasts." Lily nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"No one in my family would ever do something like that," she said. "But then, I've always been a bit of a rebel." The grin broke across her face once more as she threw her arms around Sean's shoulders and pulled herself up to kiss him gleefully.

"I do have one request," Sean cautioned her once they'd broken apart. "You need to tell your brothers about this. I'm not going to go sneaking around with you under James' nose and I'll sound like a complete arse if I tell them that I'm just dating you for the summer and then ditching you. If it comes from you, they can see that this is your decision and I'm not messing you around." Lily nodded her head in understanding.

"I don't want to tell them right now, though," she murmured. "Right now I want to snog you. Has anyone ever told you that you're a really excellent kisser?"

"Am I now?" he responded with a smile, wrapping his arms around her and dipping his head toward hers.

Down in the library, Alice found James and Rose pouring over books.

"_Magic and Anti-Magic_?" she read from the small pile in front of the pair. "_Cloaking Spells and Protection Wards_? This sounds like pretty advanced stuff. You don't think any of this is going to be on our exams?"

"No, of course not," Rose answered. "Most of this is Auror training material. We're just doing a little extracurricular research."

"Exams are next week and you have time for extracurricular research?" Alice asked with an incredulous expression. Rose shrugged.

"Scor convinced me that I'm worrying too much about exams and should take it easy," she explained. "Also, this idiot needs my help more than I need the revision." She elbowed James in the ribs and earned a scowl in response.

"Well, I have gifts for the both of you," Alice announced, sitting across from them and reaching into her bag. "I've just finished it and there's plenty to go around." She handed two small boxes across the table. Rose took hers with curiosity.

"What is this?" Rose asked, opening the box to find six small, identical bottles tucked inside. Each bottle held about a tablespoon's worth of a clear pale green liquid.

"Elixir of Clarity," Alice explained. "One dose for each day of exams plus an extra to be used at your own discretion."

"Alice!" Rose hissed in alarm. "I'm a prefect! I can't let you start handing out stuff like this!"

"No, I checked with Dad first," Alice assured her. "It's allowed, not like all that other junk that people try to use. For one thing, this is real." She made a small scoffing sound. "But it doesn't actually increase intelligence or luck or anything like that. It just counteracts the effects of stress and allows your mind to work at full potential. Think of it like a really good night's sleep in a bottle."

James picked up his with renewed interest and examined one of the containers.

"Doesn't that still give the drinker and unfair advantage though?" Rose asked skeptically.

"No more than a few strong cups of coffee. Like I said, it's allowed," Alice shrugged. "Anyone who wants to can brew it and drink it. I happened to make enough to share and you two are lucky enough to be among my friends."

"Can't hurt," James observed, slipping the box into his pocket. "Thanks, Alice." Rose bit her lip and eyed the box for a few minutes before finally giving in with a shrug and dropping her own box into her bag.

"Alright James," Rose sighed, picking up the book in front of her and sliding several others out of the way. "This will be the passage you need, right here." She indicated a section of text as she placed the open book on the table in front of him. "If you read that through and take a few notes, it should tell you everything you need to know to accomplish what you want to do."

"Thanks, Rosie!" James exclaimed. "You're brilliant. I owe you one."

"More like fifty," she replied with a smirk. "Now if you'll excuse us, Alice and I are going to dinner. Have fun with your project. I can't wait to see the result." James gave her a grin and a wave before pulling out a sheet of parchment and beginning to scribble.

"Project?" Alice asked as they passed through the library doors and into the corridor. "Do I want to know?"

"Oh, you'll see," Rose said with a mischievous look. Alice laughed.

"Rose, you're my best mate, but I don't understand you sometimes," she teased. "How is it that you're Miss Perfect Prefect one minute and then aiding and abetting Hogwarts' most notorious prankster the next?"

"First of all," Rose sniffed. "If James even deserves that title, which I'm not sure he does, he owes most of his success to me. He'd never pull off half the things he's done without my help. Second, the distinction is quite simple. I don't do anything wrong. I might pull pranks and even skive off a class or two now and then, which is breaking rules, sure, but it's not wrong. Hurting people is wrong. Stealing is wrong. Cheating and lying are wrong. I don't do any of those things and I won't let others get away with them either. Speaking of which…" Rose trailed off as she reached back into her bag.

"I told you, it's not cheating!" Alice exclaimed in frustration.

"No, no, that wasn't what I was talking about," Rose said. She pulled a slim booklet from her bag and thrust it into her friend's hand. "I'm talking about you walking around this place telling everyone that you don't know what you want to do when you leave Hogwarts and maybe you'll just work at the Leaky with your Mum. That is a big fat lie, Alice Longbottom, because you're probably the most gifted potioneer this school has seen since Severus Snape and as your best mate, I refuse to let you waste such talent."

Alice stood, gobsmacked, in the middle of the hallway, holding the pamphlet her friend had given her. It showed a smiling witch holding a wand and a phial over a cauldron of bubbling potion.

"Rose! This is in the US! I can't go study potions in America!"

"Why not?" Rose demanded. "It's one of the best Potions Master programs in the world. They have a dual focus option where you can study herbology and potions at the same time. It'd be perfect for you. Furthermore, you'd be brilliant at it."

'But…" Alice stuttered, at a loss for words.

"Look, just consider it," Rose continued softly. "If you really don't want to study abroad, then look into some programs here. Get an apprenticeship in the potions lab at Saint Mungos if you like, but don't pretend that you don't know what to do with your future." She held up the box of potion that Alice had given her. "This should tell you all you need to know."

Alice looked at the box, then at her friend, her expression a mixture of fear and excitement with a tinge of what looked like hope. Slowly, she nodded her agreement. Rose smiled before tucking the box back into her bag once more and continuing toward the Great Hall.

Once he had finished scribbling his notes, James cast a clumsy re-shelving charm on the books in front of him and hurried out of the library. He needed to practice and test the spell he – er, Rose – had found and he didn't want anyone observing him as he did so. The Gryffindor common room would be mostly empty during dinnertime, and if that didn't work, there was always the dorm.

He raced up the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of the Fat Lady, stopping to breathe for a moment before giving the password. If he hadn't needed to catch his breath, he may never have even noticed the couple snogging against the wall beside the portrait.

"Whoa, Sean, mate, get a room!" he teased before the other boy jumped back and James saw who'd been pressed against the wall. "Wait, Lily?! What the hell?!"


	39. Diplomacy

"There you are!" Al greeted his cousin and girlfriend as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. "Where did you disappear to, Rose?"

"I started out just going for a walk," she explained. "Then I ended up helping your brother with a bit of revision." Alice glanced at Rose out of the corner of her eye but said nothing.

"What is he planning?" Al asked bluntly, far from fooled by Rose's nonchalant tone. She smirked in response.

"I'm not telling you," Rose insisted lightly. "Or anyone else for that matter." She turned to her boyfriend. "I feel like I haven't seen you all day."

"You haven't" Scorpius agreed. "Nor has anyone else. I've been holed up in the dorm with a stack of books for most of the day. The good news is, I finally finished that transfiguration assignment and I feel pretty good about exams next week."

"That's good. I'm so ready for this term to be over," Rose sighed. Scorpius chuckled in response.

"You have no idea," he answered softly. "Here, have a look at this." He handed her a rolled sheet of parchment which she gently pulled open and began to read.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I know that you are very busy with your exams starting next week, so I'll keep this short. I just wanted to check whether or not I should have a guest room made up for Rose? I didn't want to assume one way or the other and there's simply no point in getting it ready if it won't be needed._

_I hope your studies are going well. I can't wait to see you._

_Love, Mum_

"Does she mean…?" Rose stared at Scorpius, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "Your parents would allow us…?" Scorpius shrugged.

"You forget, my parents are both Slytherins. They're always conscious of who holds the upper hand in any situation. I have a certain amount of power now because I'm an adult and if I want to, I can leave. So they're going to be fairly accommodating in order to keep me there."

"Wow," Rose muttered. "So what did you tell her?"

"I haven't answered yet," he answered. "What would you like me to tell her?" Rose gave him a look that made him laugh. "Well, I didn't want to assume one way or the other." She rolled her eyes as he took the letter and pulled a quill from his bag. He scribbled a quick response at the bottom of the parchment.

_No need to trouble yourself, Mum. She'll stay with me._

_Love, Scorpius_

"I'll take this up to Sirius and send it off tonight," Scorpius said as he rolled the parchment back up and put it away.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Al asked suspiciously. "And why does Rose look like the Cannons just won the league?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to, mate," Scorpius advised with a grin. Al grimaced and shook his head. Alice, on the other hand, looked at Rose with an expression of gleeful curiosity.

"I'll tell you later," Rose whispered to her friend.

After dinner, Al stayed behind to say goodnight to Alice as Rose and Scorpius made their way up the staircases toward Gryffindor tower. Stepping through the portrait hole, they found James and Lily locked in a yelling match while the other inhabitants of the common room attempted to stay out of the way.

"I can't believe you, James!" Lily screeched. "What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"I'm trying to protect you, Lily," James answered. He was obviously making an attempt to speak calmly, but he wasn't succeeding very well.

"I don't need your bloody protection, you pillock!"

"Obviously you do," he countered. "Someone's got to protect you from yourself."

"I - wasn't - doing - anything - wrong!" Lily spoke the words distinctly, emphasizing each one with a thrust of her outstretched index finger. "And neither was he! You had no right to do that to him!"

"What in the name of Merlin's Great-Aunt Gertie is going on in here?" Rose yelled above her cousins' row. They both turned to face her, James looking murderous and Lily bursting into tears. "Lily, go up to your dorm. I'll speak to you in a few minutes. James, please step out into the hallway with me. Everyone else, get back to work. Exams start on Monday." Rose stepped backward, holding the portrait open for James, while Scorpius moved toward the fireplace and settled into a chair.

"Now explain to me why I just walked in on the third Wizarding War being carried out in our common room," Rose demanded as she turned to face her cousin, arms crossed.

"I came up here after I got done in the library," James began. "And I found Sean Jordan pressing Lily up against the wall in the corridor."

"Was he hurting her?" Rose cried in alarm.

"No, nothing like that," he admitted. "They were snogging. I didn't realize it was Lily at first, but when I told him to get a room, he jumped back and I saw her."

"What did you do?" she pressed. James looked guilty, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he avoided meeting her eyes.

"I…um, I kind of hexed him," he finally confessed.

"James!" Rose groaned. "Why would you do that?"

"He's three years older than she is!" he insisted. "She doesn't need to be going around snogging blokes that are my age. Do you know what blokes my age get up to? Of course you do. She is too young for all that!"

"James, look at me," Rose sighed. "Sean has been your dormmate and your friend for seven years. Is he the kind of person to take advantage of a younger girl?"

"I didn't think he was, but –"

"No," Rose interrupted. "Either he is or he isn't. Is he?"

"No," James conceded with a sigh.

"Then you didn't protect your sister from anything," Rose reasoned. "All you did was ruin her good time and possibly your friendship with Sean. You owe both of them an apology. I'm also taking twenty points from Gryffindor for hexing a fellow student."

"Rose!" James began to argue.

"I'm a prefect, James," she reminded him. "It's my responsibility to deal with this sort of thing. Just because you're my cousin doesn't mean I'm not going to do my job." With that, she turned and repeated the password, climbing into the common room once more.

Upstairs, she found Lily sobbing on her bed in the fourth year girls' dorm.

"Lily?" Rose called in what she hoped was a comforting voice. "Are you alright?"

"I hate him," the younger girl cried. "Why do I have to have such a berk for a brother?"

"I don't approve of what he did," Rose agreed. "But he did it out of love. He worries about you and wants to keep you out of trouble."

"Well, he should stay out of my business," Lily spat. "I don't need his help. I was just fine." She let out another sob. "For five minutes, everything was perfect. Then he came along and ruined all of it."

"I'm confused," Rose said carefully, sitting on the edge of Lily's bed. "I thought you said you and Sean were never going to work."

"We weren't, not really," Lily explained, sitting up. "But I talked to him like you said I should. I told him the truth, that I fancy him. He asked me if I wanted to go out with him, just until school starts again in the fall. It wasn't going to last, but it would have been fun for awhile."

"It still could be," Rose suggested. "I've told James to apologize to both of you. Talk to Sean tomorrow and maybe you can work things out." Lily shook her head sadly.

"There's no way he'll go against James just to have a silly fling with me," she muttered.

"Then he wasn't worth your time anyway," Rose insisted.

"Save it, Rose" Lily snapped, rolling her eyes. "I know you're trying to help, but just…don't."

Rose sighed and patted Lily's shoulder gently before standing up and moving toward the door.

"If you change your mind and want to talk," Rose said softly. "You know where to find me." With that, she left the dorm, closing the door gently behind her.

"I hate having to be prefect when it comes to my family," Rose groaned as she dropped into the chair next to Scorpius, snuggling into his side. He wrapped his arm around her and nuzzled her hair.

"How would you like to accompany me to the owlery?" he asked. "We can send that letter back to my Mum and the fresh air might do you some good." Rose nodded and he helped her up out of the chair before grabbing the roll of parchment from his bag.

They walked hand-in-hand through the largely quiet corridors. Although it was not yet curfew, students had mostly retreated their common rooms, studying for the upcoming exams. Rose related the cause of the row to Scorpius as they walked.

"Unfortunately for Lily, I think she's right about Sean," Scorpius offered when Rose had finished her story. "He seemed pretty worried about James' reaction after the incident on her birthday. I don't think he'll risk it again, especially, like she said, for a short term thing."

"Poor Lily," Rose sighed. "Being fifteen is awful sometimes."

"Would you have done it?' Scorpius asked suddenly.

"Done what?"

"Would you have agreed to date someone if you knew it would only last a few months?"

Rose watched as Scorpius held out his arm for his coal black owl with the golden eyes. She noticed the care with which he tied the letter to Sirius' leg. She smiled as he patted the owl's head and then lifted his arm to send his pet out into the darkening night sky. When he turned to face her, she brushed her fingers over the slight stubble of his face and looked directly into his clear grey eyes.

"If I had the choice between being with you for a few months or not at all," she said softly. "I'd make the most out of every minute and they'd be the very best months of my life."


	40. Finale

Exams were a blur. Thanks to Alice's Elixir of Clarity, none of their group struggled with sleepiness or confusion that week, although Scorpius did note that he had a bit of trouble focusing on Friday afternoon as the potion had made him jittery and hyper-alert.

"That's the trouble with most potions," Alice agreed. "If you take it for too long, the side effects kick in and the beneficial effect begins to weaken. The time it takes can very by potion and by person, so it's hard to know what's too long and what's not."

"Uh-huh," Scorpius mumbled, his eyes darting around quickly. He suddenly reached out and closed his hand around something in mid-air. "How long until this wears off?"

"A couple of hours," Alice laughed. "I'd wait a few weeks before using the last bottle, though."

The Saturday morning after exams, mayhem ensued as the earliest students attempted to enter the Great Hall for breakfast. Upon opening the doors, a first-year was completely swallowed by a lava flow of brightly-colored, gently bouncing orbs. A few students, who had presumably never encountered muggle balloons during their magical childhoods, were fascinated by the unfamiliar objects. Others simply laughed with glee as they plunged into the flood, half-walking, half-swimming in whatever direction they guessed their house tables would lay.

Rose stood at the top of the grand staircase, leaning on the railing and watching the proceedings in quiet amusement. Just as Scorpius and Al joined her, the Head Girl appeared below and attempted to vanish the torrent of balloons. Instead of disappearing, however, the balloons became more animated, rocketing around the entrance hall and bouncing off of the walls. They also appeared to glow for a moment and suddenly each one was inscribed with a message in purple script.

_You can't get rid of me that easily, Hogwarts!_

_I'll see you at WWW!_

_James Sirius Potter, class of 2023_

"Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves with this one," Al commented appreciatively.

"This was all James," Rose admitted. "I helped him find the spells he needed, but it was his idea and his execution. He deserves the credit. I think Uncle George will be suitably impressed."

"You're going to have a job topping this next year," Scorpius warned. He was rewarded with a disbelieving and faintly insulted look from his girlfriend. "Or not. You're right, never mind. You're a genius. Your farewell prank is going to blow this one out of the water." Al laughed.

James was issued a half-hearted detention by Professor Longbottom that involved taking out each of the school brooms in turn to test them for safety and responsiveness. The ones that failed were to be either repaired or destroyed and replaced. Rose and Alice sat in the stands as James zoomed around the pitch, putting each broom through its paces.

"So is it later yet?" Alice asked her friend mischievously. Rose gave her a quizzical look. "Before exams you told me that you would tell me later what you and Scor had been whispering about at dinner that night," Alice reminded her. "You never got around to telling me."

"Oh!" Rose exclaimed, blushing slightly. "Well, you know I'm spending two weeks of summer hols with him at his parents' house. It seems I'm going to be allowed to sleep in Scorpius' room with him while I'm there." Alice's eyes grew wide and she made a shrill noise of excitement.

"Rosie, you naughty girl!" she teased. "Should I be brewing you a special potion?"

"I'm perfectly capable of brewing my own potion, thank you," the redhead replied archly. "And I've been making that one for months now, as you have very well figured out, I'm sure. Besides, that takes a few ingredients that even you wouldn't have on hand. Unless…" Rose turned and fixed her friend with a playful, questioning gaze.

"No!" Alice burst out, blushing deeply. "No, not… not yet."

"You've been thinking about it, though," Rose gasped. "Haven't you? I can tell!"

"Maybe," Alice admitted. "Just thinking though."

"Well, if you're thinking about it, maybe it is time to have those ingredients at the ready," Rose advised. "Better to have them and not need them than the other way around." She paused for a moment before covering her face with her hands. "Aauugh!" she groaned suddenly. "That's my cousin, eew!" She began to laugh and Alice joined in.

The remainder of the term was spent mostly lounging around in the sunshine at the edge of the lake and playing the odd game of exploding snap or wizards' chess. Although James, Roxanne, and Molly would have to wait until sometime in July to receive the results of their tests, the others were pleased to find out that they'd all come off rather well. Rose was even more excited for Scorpius' E in transfiguration then he was, although there was a definite air of relief about his mood after that.

Even Lily, despite her early truancy, passed all of her classes with respectable margins. Her mood remained sullen and tetchy, however, and even after James apologized, she refused to speak to him or acknowledge his presence.

"She'll get over it eventually," Violet assured him as they lay curled up by the fire in the common room on the last night of term. "You're just going to have to give her time."

"We don't really have a lot of time, do we?" James argued. "We're leaving in the morning. I'm working on getting Uncle George to set me up at the Hogsmeade branch so that I can still see you guys when you have free weekends, but I don't want to leave school with my little sister not speaking to me."

"I don't know," Violet sighed. "Maybe there's a way to make it up to her, show her that you do trust her. I know it's selfish of me, but right now I'm more worried about the fact that I'm barely going to see you at all next year and when I do, I'll have to share you with your family."

"Well, we'll just have to sneak you out of a castle every once in awhile, won't we?" James said with a grin.

"Right, how are we going to manage that?" Violet scoffed.

"Easy, just borrow the ma-" James broke off, a dumbstruck look on his face. "That's it!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Violet, go upstairs and get Lily. Don't tell her I want her or she won't come. Get Rose too. Meet me at the top of the astronomy tower in ten minutes." With that, he dashed upstairs toward the boys' dorms.

When Rose, Lily and Violet pushed through the door at the top of the astronomy tower, they found James, Al, Scorpius, and Hugo already gathered. Lily scowled and attempted to turn around, but Rose grabbed her by the arm and gently urged her forward. James shot Rose a grateful look before he began to speak in an exaggeratedly formal tone.

"Welcome Potters, Weasleys, and trusted allies. We gather tonight upon my last evening as a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to witness the passing of a sacred document which has been handed down through our families these past three generations. As the most recent possessor of the Marauders' Map, I hereby bequeath it to the next Master of Mischief, or shall I say Mistress?"

When James held the folded parchment out in front of him, all eyes turned to Lily. Lily, however, was staring at her feet as she assumed that the map would be handed to Rose. When the silence stretched out to an awkward length, she looked up in surprise.

"Me?"

"Of course you," James answered. "It's a Potter family heirloom. Al's already got the cloak, so you get the map."

Rose and Al both smiled as Lily stepped forward and gripped the edge of the ragged parchment, looking up at her brother in surprise.

"Do you, Lily Potter, solemnly swear that you are, and will henceforth remain, up to no good?" James intoned, resuming his formal demeanor.

"Mischief will be managed," Lily promised. James let go of the map and Lily took it, pausing for only a second before throwing her arms around him and bursting into tears.

"I love you, little sister," he murmured.

"I love you too, James. I'm going to miss you!" Lily cried. By this time, Rose and Violet were openly weeping and the boys were all blinking far more rapidly than was normal. They gathered around James, taking it in turns to hug him and wish him well.

Lily and Hugo were the first to head back down the steps into the castle, presumably to begin planning how they might best make use of Lily's new possession. Rose, Al, and Scorpius lingered, but soon followed the younger ones, leaving James and Violet to spend some time alone on their last night together. Rose walked between her cousin and her boyfriend, arms thrown around each of their waists.

"I'm happy for James," she mused as they made their way through the halls. "But I'm glad we've still got another year to go. I'm not ready to leave this place yet."

"Me too," Al agreed. "And I have a feeling that next year's going to be brilliant."

"Absolutely," Scorpius chimed in. "This year was amazing, but next year is going to be the best year yet."

The End

_A/N: GAH! That's it guys! After more than two and a half years of blatantly making things up as I go along, I can now check this off as a completed story! I want to send out a big thank-you to all of my loyal (and extremely patient) readers, my lovely reviewers, and those goofballs over in the TL who keep me entertained and motivate me to keep writing._

_Question of the Day: Will there be a sequel? Simple Answer: Yes! More Complicated Answer: I already have a lot of plans for these characters and their next year of schooling, but I want to experiment with having planned story arcs and longer, more organized chapters. So it's going to take me a bit to work that all out before I start posting it. Keep an eye out for a shorter "interlude" story that covers the events of the summer, and then I'll start working on the next long one._


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